The Phillies are a Dumpster Fire

The Florida Marlins continued to have their way with the Phillies on Opening Day Weekend. Yesterday was definitely the most painful of them all.

The Marlins have six key players, including four guys who would have started today, out with COVID-related issues and they’re still taking it to the Phillies. It’s 11-6, Miami, in the seventh.

— Jim Salisbury (@JSalisburyNBCS) July 26, 2020

Unbelievable. The Florida Marlins. A team who could barely fill a roster. Beat the crap out of the Philadelphia Phillies.

• 11 runs allowed yesterday.
• The Phillies left the bases loaded three times and went 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position,
• Cole Irvin, Reggie McClain and Nick Pivetta allowed a combined seven runs in 5 1/3 innings.
• We foolishly believed in Vincent Velasquez.

No. https://t.co/4KdKDAe5Xg

— The Liberty Line (@LibertyLinePHL) July 26, 2020

Just terrible. After striking out 2 in the top of the 1st, the Phillies did what they were supposed to do and jump out to an early lead against a terrible team. Bryce Harper absolutely destroyed a home run and the Phillies found themselves up 4-0 heading into the 2nd inning.

Number 3 for threeeeeee! #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/8kbMTpZfPK

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 26, 2020

In comes Vincent Velasquez and the game is tied. He exits after 4-innings. Our bullpen, which is truly just awful, comes in and allows the Marlins to put up 7 runs in 5 and a third inning.

The game was on TV for like 6 hours. Pure torture.

On the series, the Phillies go 3-22 with runners in scoring position. I lost count on how many times we left the bases loaded. Our bullpen is an absolute dumpster fire and honestly, even thinking that we could start a season with Cole Irvin and a bunch of other no-named relievers is a fireable offense.

Why does this always happen? There has to be some help in the pitching department SOMEWHERE for the Phillies. Our lineup is too deep to not produce big offensive numbers night in and night out.

Where is the timely hitting? Do we have any help in the bullpen?

How quickly can Spencer Howard get to Philly and save us from misery? Yesterday he had a rough go on the mound in the minors too. The No. 34 prospect in baseball allowed four hits, two runs and two walks in four innings, and he recorded nine total outs in the scrimmage. He struck out four.

Spencer Howard’s stuff is special and only going to get better. pic.twitter.com/itq8yHQAg5

— Jack Fritz (@JackFritzWIP) March 12, 2020

Are we sure we wanted baseball back? Do we really think that JAKE ARRIETA is going to right the ship tonight against the Yankees? Why do we constantly believe that the Phillies are going to turn things around?

Arrieta was 8-8 with a 4.64 ERA in 24 starts before having his season cut short with bone spurs in his elbow in 2019. Over Arrieta’s career, he holds a 3-2 record and a 3.98 ERA against the Yankees.

He will be on the mound against an old Phillies pitcher, J.A. Happ who of course, has pitched lights out in Summer Camp 2.0 with a 1.38 ERA in 13 innings.

SOMEBODY HELP. The most productive things we saw from over the weekend were a few home runs from our big names, Didi, Bryce, and JT, and stellar play from Adam Haseley and Phil Gosselin.

We cannot get off to a slow start. You can’t drop back-to-back games. You can’t let the Marlins take 2 of 3 to start the season. We have to be better.

Bryce Harper on yesterday:

“We have to put this behind us,” Harper said. “We have to be better as an offense, a defense, pitching the ball, hitting the ball. We just have to be better.”

I agree Bryce. We have to be better. Much better.