Phillies fall to Dodgers as Thompson allows two homers
As Jake Thompson's pitch count mounted, with almost as many balls as strikes, the Phillies bullpen did not stir Wednesday in the fifth inning. Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner skied a two-run homer to left, and Los Angeles chugged toward a commanding 7-2 win over the Phillies.
As Jake Thompson's pitch count mounted, with almost as many balls as strikes, the Phillies bullpen did not stir Wednesday in the fifth inning. Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner skied a two-run homer to left, and Los Angeles chugged toward a commanding 7-2 win over the Phillies.
Thompson, a 22-year-old rookie making his third start, walked Adrian Gonzalez. Still, no movement.
Yasmani Grandal shattered his bat on a 92-mph fastball - Thompson's 103rd pitch of the night - and the inning ended. For the 19th straight game, a Phillies starting pitcher could not reach seven innings. Thompson had to make it through five.
Right now, they would settle for a six-inning start. The Phillies have played eight straight games without a starter logging six innings. That ties a team record, last done in 1999.
Is there concern for a young rotation?
"I'm taking a pause, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "We have to get it going. We have to get back on track. We have to get back to pounding the strike zone. Getting ahead early and not running the counts deep."
Mackanin said he has not detected signs of fatigue; velocities have not declined and the current rotation members have but minor pains. The starters have thrown strikes all season long, one of the redeeming qualities of this rebuilding team. That skill has betrayed them in the last three weeks.
Phillies starters have a 7.06 ERA in that 19-game stretch without a seven-inning outing. That is the worst mark in baseball.
Thompson was behind more hitters than not. He eluded trouble in the first three innings, but the powerful Dodgers lineup clobbered him with its second look at the young righthander.
"Just being a little too fine, falling behind their hitters," Thompson said. "When you're facing a lineup like those guys have, it's probably not a good place to be."
The Phillies expected hiccups from their young rotation. They wished for health. With Aaron Nola and Zach Eflin gone for the season, the margin is thinner. Both Adam Morgan and Jeremy Hellickson are dinged, but they are expected to make their scheduled starts Friday and Saturday.
Thompson is at 144 innings for the season, between the minors and majors. That is a career high. He may not make it through the last seven weeks because the Phillies plan to monitor innings limits for their youngest pitchers.
Even without a promising start Wednesday, the Phillies had a chance at drama. Tommy Joseph started the sixth with a solo homer to trim the Dodgers' lead to three runs. Three teammates followed with three singles to load the bases.
The next three batters flied out without a run crossing the plate.
Crawford back soon
Top prospect J.P. Crawford missed his eighth straight game for triple-A Lehigh Valley on Wednesday, but the Phillies expect him to return soon to the lineup.
Crawford suffered a rib cage injury while making a play at shortstop on Aug. 9. Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said Crawford is "day to day."
"We're just trying to be a little careful with him and make sure he doesn't re-aggravate it," Klentak said. "I expect he'll be back out playing live games in the next few days."
Crawford was 8 for his previous 39 before the injury and he owns a .681 OPS in 70 games at triple A. Those numbers, combined with the injury to the 21-year-old shortstop, could convince the Phillies to delay his promotion to the majors until 2017.
Extra bases
The Phillies added veteran reliever Frank Herrmann to the bullpen and optioned Elvis Araujo to triple-A Lehigh Valley. Herrmann, 32, had not pitched in the majors since 2012. He tossed a scoreless inning with two strikeouts Wednesday. . . . Eflin (chronic knee pain and fractured foot) saw orthopedist James Andrews on Wednesday, but the team did not provide an update. . . . Jerad Eickhoff will face rookie righthander Ross Striping (4.07 ERA in 10 starts) in the series finale Thursday.
@MattGelb