That wasn’t an ideal end to the series. With a chance to secure a series sweep, to cough it up like that? We need every game possible as we are finishing the season. How did we end up losing a winnable game? Let’s dive in and discuss!
We got to the magic number, but we couldn’t get to where I would have liked. We’ll need between 3-5 runs per game to hang tough with our bullpen. We can’t afford anything less if we are going to sneak into the playoffs. They are averaging 5.22 runs per game, which is good enough for fifth-best in all of Major League Baseball.
With a bullpen as bad as this one, you have to score at least five runs to stay in the game. Didi Gregorius just so happens to be one of those guys that have been helping us stay in games. He went 1-4 with an RBI double. He’s averaging .357, with two home runs, six RBI’s, and one walk in his last seven games. Didi continues to come up big, which is what we’ll need in the playoffs.
Alec Bohm is also stepping up in the clutch. Bohm went 2-4 with an RBI single and a walk. An additional run was scored on an error and Bohm, was thrown out at second. In his last twenty-three games, he’s averaging .369, with three home runs, sixteen RBI’s, and six walks. With only seven games remaining, you need everyone to step up as Bohm has!
For a pitching debut, I thought Adonis Medina was solid. He had decent control, he wasn’t all over the place, and he gave up limited runs. His only real issue was finding the strike zone. He walked too many matters. If he can fix where he positions his pitches, he’ll be okay. He went four innings of work and allowed two runs on three hits, with three walks, and struck out four batters. Maybe we’ll get to see more from the young pitcher?
In any other situation, a starter allowing only two runs would be a cause for joy! Not with this bullpen. As usual, there’s one guy who screws it all up! In 3.2 inning of relief, Connor Brogdon, Brandon Workman, and Adam Morgan allowed only one hit while striking out four batters. Heath Hembree, on the other hand, pitched 1.1 innings and allowed four runs on four hits, with one walk and two strikeouts. Hembree has allowed thirteen runs, seven home runs, and five walks in his last 9.1 innings pitched for the Phillies. He has a 12.54 ERA to go along with those awful numbers. We’ll need the rest of our bullpen to step up as The Sprint To The Finish rages on!
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