Out of season makes people excited and performances in the spring can create optimism. But nothing offers a more true reading of a ball club than the hassle of the everyday competition in the regular season.
Fourteen games in the new season is one thing clear about this Phillies team.
It has holes.
More than expected.
Larger than expected.
It is serious that this team has not received a hit from a starting center player since April 4, the third game of the season. Roman Quinn’s only hit of the season – he is 1 for 23 overall – came after taking part in the match as a reserve on April 9.
The Phillies lost for the sixth time in the last eight games on Saturday when they went 9-4 through the St. Louis Cardinals hammered at gloomy Citizens Bank Park.
The Phils played eleven games in a row without a hit from their starting center.
The position was presumably from the spring training. After 14 games, it’s a bigger hole than expected.
The Phillies also have another hole they did not plan on.
They got nothing out of the No. 4 spot in their starting rotation. Lefty Matt Moore, amid much winter excitement after a strong performance last year in Japan, has played poorly in three times.
The Phillies were able to overcome the first two poor starts from Moore and succeed with wins, but they could not do so on Saturday. Moore was marked for six runs in the third innings when the Phillies fell to 7-7 that season.
“I just could not turn the brake link on,” Moore said.
Driver Joe Girardi pulls Moore in the middle of an innings – with the opposing pitcher on the board.
“Joe is the skipper,” Moore said. “He was done with what he was looking at. It didn’t matter if it was a pitcher or who it was up there. I threw a curveball to the backstop. I did not have much leg to stand on. was pretty weak out there in the third inning. ‘
Defense was an issue during the early season and it was Saturday again. So was the transgression. The day after scoring nine runs in a series victory over the Cards, the Phils were 1 for 10 with runners in the standings, leaving 11 men on the base and getting 13 strokes and scoring double figures for the ninth time in 14 games. They let Cardinals starter Kwang Hyun Kim run off the hook in the first innings, scoring just one run and leaving the base full. They also left the base in the ninth.
But the start of the pitch was the main problem in this three-hour, 54-minute battle. Moore simply did not give his team a chance. He did not keep the team in the game.
In three times, Moore allowed 17 shots and 12 runs in 11 overs. This is an ERA of 9.82 and it is a major concern.
Moore allowed homers in the third inning, and JoJo Romero, whose drop in fast speed ball is again a source of concern, returned in the fourth inning. Yadier Molina scored twice for the Cardinals.
Aaron Nola throws hope on Sunday before Chase Anderson takes on the start of the series against the Giants on Monday night. Anderson hasn’t played deep yet, and that’s a concern at the back of the turn. Moore could be a bigger issue.
It’s all part of an issue that the team has been aware of for the beginning of the depth for months. The lack at the beginning of the depth was the reason the Phils brought back Vince Velasquez when conventional wisdom said it was time to say goodbye. That was why the Phils spent $ 3 million on Moore and $ 4 million on Anderson.
Girardi, at least outwardly, is not worried about Moore’s first try start.
“I think it’s still too early to judge,” he said. ‘Like cacti, jars can also start slowly. I think the problem today was that he was very much in the zone and that he was very much behind. him to locate better. ‘
Girardi said Moore will make his next start. The one will arrive at Coors Field in Denver, never an easy place to store. Moore’s career numbers in Coors Field are not good – 32 hits and 24 runs in 14 overs. This is a 14.73 era.
If the Phils get to the point where they want to look at someone other than Moore, they only have a few options, especially Spencer Howard. After that it’s Velasquez and then a bunch of depth arms waiting for the Triple A season to start.
Moore was visited on the hill by the athletics coach in the third innings, but later said he was fine. Bryce Harper, who smashed the ball Friday night, did not play due to the stiff back. He may be back Sunday. Jean Segura, like many fans, left the match with an upset stomach.
Just an everyday bad day for the Phillies, a team with a lot of holes.
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