3 Phillies players who appeared to be cursed in 2023
By Edward Eng
Seranthony Domínguez
Seranthony Domínguez was one of the Phillies’ most reliable relievers last season. Along with José Alvarado and David Robertson, he formed the three-headed monster, closing out games during the 2022 season. Their absolute dominance was relied upon by the Phillies day in and day out as the big three collectively did their part in taking the team right to the World Series.
In 2023, Domínguez was back for another season with the Phillies, looking to repeat or even top his performance from last season. However, 2023 has been somewhat of a disappointment for him.
Last season, Domínguez sported a winning record of 6-5 with a tidy 3.00 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP, giving up only four home runs and amassing 61 strikeouts in just 51 innings pitched. In contrast, in 2023 Domínguez encountered some struggles, posting a 3.78 ERA and a bloated 1.40 WHIP, while having issues with control at times, giving up seven home runs, 22 walks and 48 strikeouts in 50 innings of work.
More significantly, he blew a total of seven games this season, compared to only two all of last year.
He sustained a left oblique strain injury midway through the season, so perhaps that had some effect on his overall performance at times. But his inconsistency persisted throughout the year, so there was possibly more to it than just a minor ailment.
Nevertheless, Domínguez will look to regain his form, hopefully just in time for the current playoff run by the Phillies to break the cursed season once and for all.
So far, so good for the big righty. He has only appeared in one game, pitching a single inning against Atlanta. Despite giving up a pair of hits, he collected three strikeouts and kept the Braves off the board.