The Phillies’ goal for the three-game series against the Yankees was to win two out of three, just as they did vs. the Nationals over the weekend.
After all, New York went into Monday night’s opener with the best winning percentage in the major leagues and had accumulated 14 more home runs (124) than the next team.
But Gabe Kapler’s degree of difficulty is again magnified by bullpen issues.
Having pitched during the previous two games in Washington, top relievers Seranthony Dominguez and Tommy Hunter were unavailable for Monday’s 4-2 loss at a sold-out Citizens Bank Park featuring plenty of Yankees fans.
Edubray Ramos, who has also been a stalwart in the back end of the ‘pen, went on the 10-day disabled list because of right shoulder impingement, joining Luis Garcia (strained right wrist).
Pat Neshek, who was dominant as the seventh-inning guy last year, is starting a rehab assignment in Reading on Tuesday after missing the first three months with a shoulder/forearm injury. It’s unclear when he’ll be ready to pitch.
That left Victor Arano, Zac Curtis, Austin Davis, Adam Morgan, Yacksel Rios and Hector Neris, who was called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Monday after spending a week in Allentown, as Kapler’s options Monday.
“It’s been challenging,” Kapler said. “In a lot of ways, through various stretches, we’ve done a really good job of weathering the storm.”
Asked how he planned to handle the back end of the bullpen beforehand, Kapler replied, “I think I’ll just stay really consistent and we’ll examine the options we have available, and we’ll match them up as best as we can to put them in the best position to succeed.”
The Phils needed starter Vince Velasquez to give them as many innings as possible Monday. The up-and-down right-hander walked four and went deep in too many counts, but he still went six innings. Velasquez kept the Phillies in the game by allowing three hits and two runs, though he also was touched for a smoked solo homer by Aaron Judge (Judge’s 20th). The Yankees held a 2-0 lead after six innings.
To start the seventh, Kapler chose Neris, who worked a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts.
The Phillies scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to make it 2-1.
Morgan was next and he didn’t get an out, as a Brett Gardner infield single, a walk to Judge and Didi Gregorious’ bunt single loaded the bases. Yacksel Rios replaced Morgan and allowed a Giancarlo Stanton two-run single over the drawn-in infield but escaped further damage in the eighth.
Davis permitted two baserunners in the ninth but no runs.
The bullpen has been quite effective for stretches this season. It has also really struggled for periods. Of late, the rough days have become more common.
The relievers gave up nine hits and six unearned runs in the final three innings Sunday evening in Washington to turn a 6-2 lead when Nick Pivetta left after five into an 8-6 defeat.
Kapler has consistently taken a glass-half-full approach with the bullpen, emphasizing how there are three or four pitchers with the potential to be closers. For now, he’s using a closer-by-committee approach, though that would change if he had Mariano Rivera or Kenley Jansen at his disposal.
“It’s just talent,” Kapler said. “Stuff is really important in a major league bullpen. Have movement and velocity on your baseball. Have a secondary wipeout kind of pitch. We’ve got a lot of guys that kind of look like that, right?”
Despite the bullpen’s woes, a so-so defense and an inconsistent offense (three hits Monday), the 41-35 Phillies are guaranteed a winning record at the season’s halfway point after going 66-96 last year. That is a clear indication of progress.
While some fans are still not too fond of Kapler, he deserves credit for that — and for getting as much as he has from the bullpen.
Tom Moore: [email protected]; @TomMoorePhilly
