Philadelphia, PA- The Philadelphia Phillies’ start to the 2023 MLB season has been a rough one, as they hadn’t registered a win in their first four games (before getting their first win on Tuesday night), something that hasn’t happened since 2016. There are many reasons why things haven’t been clicking for the team, one of which is the disappointing performances of the two aces, Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler, who combined for just eight innings in their season debuts, allowing nine runs.
The team’s pitching staff was expected to be the driving force behind the Phillies’ success this season, but even with the injuries of Ranger Suarez and Andrew Painter, the bullpen has shown no signs of hope, allowing 17 runs (14 earned) over the first two games.
Matt Strahm started his first game since 2019 and tossed four shutout innings on Tuesday night before the bullpen took and allowed just one run over the final five to stop the bleeding at least momentarily.
Despite the disappointing start, there is still plenty of time for the Phillies to turn things around. With 157 games left to play, the team has ample opportunities to get back on track. Looking back on Nola’s opening day performance, it was clear that he wasn’t his usual dominant self, allowing five runs on four hits in just 3 ⅔ innings. In game two, Zack Wheeler took the mound, but also struggled, allowing seven hits and five runs in just 4 ⅓ innings.
Coming off a spectacular season last year, it would have been nice to see more out of Wheeler in his debut. There was some frustration surrounding the poor performance of home plate umpire C.B. Bucknor. Despite the frustration, the Rangers impressively tallied seventeen hits. The two-time American League MVP finalist, Marcus Semien, started the game off hot, taking Wheeler deep to right-center in the first inning. Wheeler was getting lit up. In the bottom of the seventh and eighth, the game was put out of reach. The Rangers scored nine consecutive runs. Seranthony Dominguez came on to pitch in place of Jose Alvarado, and let up a three-run shot in the eighth. It was a brutal loss, 16-3.
The Phillies’ bullpen has been a cause for concern, specifically with Gregory Soto and Seranthony Dominguez failing to impress so far this season. The bullpen had thrown the fifth fewest innings in baseball, but they are only eleventh in batters faced and eighth in pitches thrown through Monday. The reason for that is they had yet to pitch a bottom of the ninth before Tuesday night. Not a good look.
The team is hoping for a major shakeup with the recent roster moves made. The Phils just called up RHP McKinley Moore as an extra arm. The performance on the mound has been a far cry from what was expected of them heading into this season, with the pitching staff being viewed as the strength of the team. However, it is still early days, and there is plenty of time for the Phillies to find their rhythm and start winning games.
In their most recent loss to the New York Yankees on Monday, newly acquired pitcher Tijuan Walker made his debut, giving mixed feelings about his performance. Although his velocity was up to 94-96 from spring training, his ball control was noticeably off, allowing three walks and a homer.
The Phillies allowed a total of 37 runs in their first four games – the most through four games since 1895. Phil’s manager Rob Thomson has acknowledged that they are being tested, but with a lineup that includes the likes of newcomers Trea Turner, Gregory Soto, Tijuan Walker, and Craig Kimbrel, the Phillies have the talent to turn things around and get back to their winning ways.
