PHILADELPHIA — Haunted by bad pitches at bad times, a season’s worth of defensive follies and an unstable bullpen, the Phillies Tuesday could have used a nudge from their manager.
Did they receive one?
A lecture? A demand?
A meeting, perhaps?
Don’t ask.
“Well, if I was to have one, I wouldn’t tell you,” Joe Girardi said. “And if I had had one, I wouldn’t tell you. So our players know what they need to do.”
Such was the managerial approach with a playoff-minded team that had just lost three of four at home to the next-to-last place team in the NL West. It may have had something to do, too, with another ordinary effort from a starting pitcher and a 6-3 loss Tuesday to the Chicago Cubs, who had entered Citizens Bank Park with a record 14 games south of .500.
Kyle Gibson, the trade-deadline acquisition believed to be capable of solidifying the rotation, lasted only five innings, allowing five hits, four runs and two home runs. Though he did retire the first 12 Cubs he faced, he has not completed six innings in any of his last three starts.
“It was frustrating, obviously,” Gibson said. “I don’t know that I’ve executed pitches that well since I’ve been here in those first four innings.”
Aware they are running short on time, the Phils have lost six of their last seven.
“We have to come out and play a crisp game tomorrow,” Girardi said, “and find a way to win.”
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J.T. Realmuto, too seldom available all season due to a variety of injuries and load-management considerations, was given a shot to ease inflammation in his right shoulder Sunday. After the off day Monday, he did not play Tuesday.
“Same thing,” Girardi said. “As you know, he’s had this shoulder issue. He caught Saturday and Sunday. It seems like every time it’s turning the corner and he’s getting better, he’ll do something, whether it’s a swing and a miss or he’ll dive for a ground ball, that sort of thing.
“So he had an injection to take care of the inflammation and we expect him to play (Wednesday).”
Andrew Knapp replaced Realmuto in the lineup.
“You hate not having him,” Girardi said. “But you can’t play him every day. He’s been playing a lot. He had a good day on Sunday. He’s been able to get through it.”
Girardi insists that doctors are optimistic that no offseason surgery will be required.
“Our doctors have told us everything is good,. There’s things that players go through.”
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The Phillies entered the game having allowed 16 home runs on 0-2 pitches, the most in baseball.
A detailed study of the phenomenon is not necessary.
“It’s really simple: We made bad pitches,” Girardi said. “It’s bad pitches. It’s bad execution, right? We talk about it all the time. We talk about everything. We talk about 0-2 hits, not just 0-2 home runs and that they need to execute better. It’s just been bad execution.”
So the Phillies’ pitchers are leaving too many pitches over the plate? Sports science: It rules.
“There’s too many 0-2 pitches right in the heart of the zone,” Girardi said. “If a guy takes a pitch down and away and it’s just on the corner and he hits that, you kind of go, ‘OK.’ But not the ones that are in the heart.
“I always say, if you are going to miss, you want to miss by 16 to 18 inches. Don’t miss by three or four.”
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The 1980 championship pennant in right-center field was at half-staff in memory of former Phillies owner Ruly Carpenter, who died Monday at age 81.
Carpenter ran the Phillies from 1972 through 1981 and produced five playoff teams.
“The Carpenter family, especially Ruly, left a huge imprint on my life,” said Mike Schmidt in a statement. “He was very instrumental in putting the 1980 world championship team together. I will remember Ruly most for his honesty, integrity and the friendship we had for over 45 years. Ruly will be missed by everyone whom he touched.”
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Alec Bohm is the Phillies’ nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, presented annually to a major league player who best displays extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions to the sport.
Bohm has created The Alec Bohm Foundation, which has supplied necessities to orphans in Uganda and has assisted with repairs to a church in Kenya.
“There are many players around the league who throughout the years have done a lot of great things in the community,” stated Bohm. “To even have the opportunity to be mentioned with them for the Roberto Clemente Award is something that’s really special.”
Each major-league team nominates one player for the award, which will be selected by a panel including Rob Manfred, baseball’s TV partners and the family of the late Clemente. The winner of a fan ballot at mlb.com/clemente21, which will run through Oct. 3, will receive one vote in the process.
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NOTES >> Ranger Suarez (6-4, 1.38 ERA) will oppose Cubs right-hander Alec Mills (6-6, 4.35) Wednesday at 7:05. Right-handed Kyle Hendricks (11-6, 4.54) will pitch for Chicago Thursday at 6:05 as the Phillies try a bullpen game … A sixth-inning double extended Bryce Harper’s hitting streak to 10 games …Vince Velasquez, who had been designated for assignment, was released.
