MIAMI — When Nick Nelson threw his eighth consecutive ball to begin the sixth inning, Joe Girardi leaned forward with his left foot on the top step of the dugout. He looked down, spit some sunflower seeds onto the dirt and meandered toward Caleb Cotham, the pitching coach. The game had long been decided Friday night. Girardi looked at his card. Cotham checked his sheet. There was no call to make to the bullpen because they knew they needed everyone over the next two days with Ranger Suárez and Zack Wheeler not pitching at a full workload.
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So, they ran out the clock. The eighth game of the season was reduced to crossed fingers that no one got hurt and pitchers could be saved for later.
It’s possible the Phillies look back at this in five months and laugh. They have played 5 percent of their schedule and there’s been more bad than good. The pitching and defense haven’t been pristine. But those weren’t the strengths of this roster. The lineup was designed to withstand a few slumps because it is a deep unit that should prevent extended droughts. And, relative to the rest of the sport, it has. The Phillies are middle of the pack in most offensive categories. They are still carrying a top-10 slugging percentage.
“I really believe we’re going to hit,” Girardi said after a 7-1 loss. “It’s just … there are other teams going through it. And we’re going through it right now.”
Kyle Schwarber is 1 for his last 27. The first swing on Opening Day feels like months ago. So be it.
“What are we at?” Schwarber said. “Game 8? So, Game 8. I’m glad we can point out some weaknesses and start working on it. It is what it is. I don’t think you’re going to look at any person in this clubhouse and see anyone panicking.”
No one has used the word panic when asking questions. No one expects panic in mid-April. The mere idea of panic in April suggests that panic might not be too far from everyone’s minds. There is so much invested in this team.
“I don’t think there’s much panic, honestly,” right-hander Kyle Gibson said. “It might not be the answer that people want to hear. But we feel pretty confident in who we are as a team, pitching-wise and hitting-wise. I feel like we went through it a little bit (last) September. When you have four or five guys who are going through some streaks, you either win a lot of ballgames or you don’t. That’s just how it goes.”
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Girardi will probably sit Schwarber on Saturday when the Phillies face tough lefty Trevor Rogers. There will be a different look to the entire lineup. “It might be a different look Sunday, too,” Girardi said. Alec Bohm, who registered another pinch-hit single Friday night, will be in Saturday’s lineup. He has not started in four straight games and hasn’t played an inning at third base since the fateful three-error game.
He might not play third base Saturday. Even if he does, there are indications Girardi has lost a great deal of faith in Bohm’s abilities there. It is a difficult spot for everyone; Bohm needs to play and he’s hit when he has played. But the Phillies have a rotation filled with groundball pitchers, and Bohm’s play at third base should concern even his most ardent supporters. The Phillies already have numerous DH-types on the roster and there are not enough at-bats for Bohm there.
The Phillies, when deciding to place both Bohm and Bryson Stott on the roster, said they did it because Girardi indicated he could find enough time for both young players. There was always an expiration date on that plan — sometime near the end of April once the regulars were properly conditioned to play long stretches without rest — but something might give before then.
For now, Johan Camargo is going to play a lot of third base.
“I just like what Camargo is doing there right now,” Girardi said. “(Miami) is a groundball-hitting team, and we have a lot of groundball pitchers. I like the way Camargo’s playing. We want to get Alec back out there, and that’s going to happen. But I chose to go with Camargo again.”
Girardi added: “Alec’s going to play third again, and it’s going to be sometime in the near future.”
The Phillies entered Friday with zero hits from their center fielders, then Símon Muzziotti and Matt Vierling each collected one. Muzziotti started and made two above-average plays in center. He slapped a single to left in the third inning for his first big-league hit. “It was a dream come true,” he said through a team interpreter. “I really want to take advantage of this moment to say thank you to all the coaches that have worked really hard with me to make me realize this dream.” He’s going to give the ball to his mother.
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Vierling singled in the ninth and a weight was lifted from his back. He had been 0-for-15. Maybe that’s something. He could be the leadoff hitter Saturday with the lefty on the mound.
“It’s hard when you’re that guy who doesn’t have a hit,” Girardi said. “It’s really hard. Hopefully he’ll relax and get back to who he was.”
Really, the pitching still could qualify as the biggest concern. The rotation looks behind. The bullpen has some injuries and, because the Phillies have trailed in so many games, they have used some of their lesser pitchers too often. All of the vibes might be different whenever the Phillies start to score again. It feels flat, but that’s expected when a team built on its offense cannot score.
Schwarber is the poster child for it — such excitement at the beginning, only for disappointment to fester for a week. There is a lot of baseball to be played.
“He is a big piece,” Girardi said. “And so is the No. 3 hitter and the four hitter and the five hitter and the six hitter. We’re expecting this offense to be deep, so it’s just not on one guy.”
(Photo: Lynne Sladky / Associated Press)
