The Phillie bullpen started the year looking miserable against the Rangers before a shockingly fantastic set of games in Chicago. They’re back looking not so hot against the Brewers and have allowed nine runs in eight innings over the first two games of the set.
Last night Bastardo started the eighth with the score tied at 4-4 and allowed three runs in the frame, two of which were unearned due to a big error by Ryan Howard at first. De Fratus followed that up by allowing a two-run homer in the ninth.
Overall, the Phillies have allowed 27 runs in their last three games and lost three straight.
The Phillies are 3-5 on the year after losing 9-4 to the Milwaukee Brewers last night. The Brewers lead the series two games to none.
Roberto Hernandez got the start for the Phillies and went five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and a walk. Only three of the runs were earned. Three of the hits went for extra-bases, two doubles and a home run. He struck out nine.
Nine is the most strikeouts Hernandez has recorded in a game since September 15, 2007. He has a 4.35 ERA and a 1.16 ratio after two starts in 2014. Lefties are 0-for-12 against him on the season. 293/361/449 against him for his career.
He allowed two runs in the bottom of the first on singles by Jean Segura and Aramis Ramirez, a Segura stolen base and a Rollins error at short.
He started the second with a 3-2 lead, but allowed a run on back-to-back doubles by Carlos Gomez and Segura with two outs. He got a lot of help from Revere in the frame — Revere made a nice diving catch in right center after a long run to turn a double by Scooter Gennett into the first out of the inning.
Aramis Ramirez led off the third with a single, but Hernandez retired the next three.
Gomez hit an 0-2 pitch out to left with two outs in the fourth, extending the Milwaukee lead to 4-3.
We should be afraid of Hernandez’s home run rate. So far he’s allowed two in 10 1/3 innings, the solo shot to the righty Gomez last night and a solo shot to Welington Castillo in his first start against the Cubs.
Hernandez allowed a two-out single to Khris Davis in the fifth, but retired Mark Reynolds on a ground ball he handled himself for the third out.
Jeff Manship pitched the sixth, keeping the Brewers off the board and allowing a two-out single to Gomez.
Another impressive outing for Manship, who has allowed a hit and a walk over 3 1/3 scoreless innings while striking out three.
Jake Diekman allowed a single in a scoreless seventh, striking out the other three hitters he faced. After allowing three runs over two innings in his first time out, Diekman has tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings over his last three appearances. He’s allowed one hit and one walk to the last ten batters he’s faced while striking out four.
Antonio Bastardo started the eighth with the score tied at 4-4. He walked Reynolds to start the inning. Reynolds, amazingly, stole second and Scooter Gennett bunted him to third with the first out. Logan Schafer was next and grounded a ball to first that Howard didn’t handle for an error. Reynolds scored (5-4) and Schafer wound up at second. Gomez was next and flew to Brown for the second out, but Bastardo hit Segura and Ryan Braun followed that with a bases-clearing triple. 7-4. Ramirez flew to right to end the inning.
Bastardo allows three runs in the frame on a walk and one big hit. Only one of the runs is earned due to the big error by Howard. The triple he allowed to Braun is the only hit he’s allowed on the season, but he’s walked four in 4 1/3 innings.
Justin De Fratus pitched the ninth. Jonathan Lucroy led off with a single and scored on a one-out homer by Reynolds. 9-4.
Second appearance of the year for De Fratus. Threw a scoreless inning against the Cubs his first time out and allowed two runs in an inning last night. He’s allowed just four home runs in 63 1/3 innings for his career.
Four innings in the game for the pen in which they allow five runs, three of which are earned, on five hits and a walk. Bastardo threw 23 pitches in the game.
The Phillie lineup against righty Matt Garza went (1) Ben Revere (2) Jimmy Rollins (3) Carlos Ruiz (4) Ryan Howard (5) Marlon Byrd (6) Domonic Brown (7) Cesar Hernandez (8) Jayson Nix. Utley still out with the flu, Hernandez starts at second. Nix plays third with the lefty Asche on the bench against a righty with a hamstring issue.
Down 2-0 when they came to hit in the bottom of the first, the Phillies plated three. Revere led off with a single and was forced at second for the first out with Rollins safe at first on a ground ball to the pitcher Garza. Ruiz moved Rollins up to third with a double. Ruiz scored on a balk (2-1) and Rollins took third before Howard walked. Byrd reached on an error by Gennett with everyone moving up a base. 2-2 with the bases still loaded. Brown grounded to second with Howard scoring and Byrd taking third. 3-2. Hernandez struck out to end the inning.
It was 3-3 when they hit in the second. Nix led off with a single and was bunted to second by Hernandez with the first out. Revere flew to left for the second out before Rollins walked. Ruiz grounded to short to end the inning.
The Phillies didn’t score in the third despite a two-out double by Brown.
They were down 4-3 when they hit in the fourth. Revere bunted for a single with two outs, but was left at first when Rollins grounded to second.
Ruiz doubled again to start the fifth and took third on a wild pitch after Howard struck out swinging for the first out. Byrd singled into center, scoring Ruiz to tie the game at 4-4. Brown grounded into a double-play to end the inning.
Tony Gwynn hit for Manship and singled off of Garza with two outs in the sixth. Revere grounded to short to end the inning.
Righty Tyler Thornberg set Rollins, Ruiz and Howard down in order in the seventh and Byrd, Brown and Hernandez in the eighth.
Down 9-4, Asche doubled off of righty Jim Henderson with one out in the ninth. Revere walked behind him, but Rollins flew to right for the second out and Ruiz struck out swinging to end the game.
No walk by Ben Revere should go unappreciated, including that one. Two walks in 40 plate appearances for the season is 5.0%, which is about the same as his career walk rate of 5.2%. He was 2-for-4 with a walk in the game to up his line to 324/359/378. Made a very nice catch for the first out in the second.
Rollins 0-for-4 with a walk. He’s on-basing .276 so far.
Ruiz 2-for-4 with two doubles. Hitting just .231, but with a .394 on-base percentage thanks to six walks in 33 PA.
Howard 0-for-3 with a walk and struck out twice. Made a big error in the eighth. 1-for-13 in the last three games.
Byrd 1-for-4 with a single and two RBI. Went 5-for-13 to start the season and is 3-for-his-last-21.
Brown 1-for-4 with a double. 8-for-his-last-18 with four walks and hitting .357 for the year.
Hernandez 0-for-4 and struck out twice. He’s 3-for-12 on the year with a double and a walk.
Nix 1-for-4 in the game and 3-for-17 on the year.
Cliff Lee (2-0, 6.00) faces righty Marco Estrada (0-0, 1.59) tonight. Lee was awful against the Rangers on Opening Day and threw seven shutout innings against the Cubs his second time out. He’s allowed 21 hits in 12 innings for the year. Estrada’s only appearance is a start against the Red Sox in which he allowed two runs, one earned, over 5 2/3 innings.
