There are a number of reasons the Phillies are so bad. Here are a few.
What happened to that 11-9 start? They have some, but it is getting hard to see the Phillies' bright spots.
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-pmn.s3.amazonaws.com/public/WQ4L4PSYG5AGLILFBAWO7626GM.jpg)
When you are nearly 30 games below .500 at the All-Star break, the numbers are bound to be ugly. Warning: Phillies fans may want to keep sharp objects at a distance and a bottle or two of bourbon close at hand.
Can’t win if you don’t score
The only team that has scored fewer runs per game than the Phillies is the Padres, which took two of three from the Phillies this past weekend. Here are the teams scoring the fewest runs:
Note: The Diamondbacks (5.01) lead the majors … The Braves (4.66) are second. The Braves! And that's despite star slugger Freddie Freeman's missing nearly seven weeks because of a broken hand … The Phillies averaged 3.77 in 2016, fewest in the majors. Take out that 17-run outburst on April 8 and the Phillies average this season is 3.66.
Fewest home runs
Note: The Phillies had the second-fewest homers before slamming six in Sunday's win over San Diego … The Phillies hit 162 home runs in 2016, the seventh-fewest in the majors. They are on pace for 166 this season.
(Un)Timely hitting
The Phillies are the worst hitting team in baseball when there is a runner on third and less than two out. Seems like the opposing pitcher is bearing down more than the Phillies hitter. Here's a look:
Oops
Worst team OPS
Note: The league average is .750.
The starters
Phillies team stats and ranks among baseball’s 30 teams
The ups and downs of the last 37 years
Who’s done what
Current rotation
Injured, expected back soon
No longer in rotation
The Back End
The Phillies were supposed to have a better group of relief pitchers this season after acquiring veterans Joaquin Benoit and Pat Neshek in the offseason. Neshek has been terrific. The rest of the crew? Wildly inconsistent.
"We've got a great bullpen. You can see the guys we have, the arms. From myself to the young guys, we have a great bullpen. I feel confident in all the guys we have and hopefully we can keep building from this."
— Joaquin Benoit, after beating the Reds on opening day
Highest Bullpen ERA
Note: The Indians have the lowest bullpen ERA (2.84). … The major-league average is 4.14. … The Phillies' bullpen posted a 5.05 ERA in 2016.
Losses by Bullpen
Note: Phillies' relievers are 11-22. … Four teams are tied for the fewest losses among bullpens with eight (Red Sox, White Sox, Dodgers, Diamondbacks). … The Phillies are 20th in innings pitched by bullpens.
Fewest Saves
Note: The fewest team saves the Phillies have had in the past 20 years is 32 (1998, 1999, 2013). They are on pace to post 21 for 2017. … Opening-day closer Jeanmar Gomez was released on June 20. … The Rockies and Rays lead the league with 30 saves. … Colorado closer Greg Holland, who was signed in the offseason as a free agent, has converted 28 of 29 save chances.
New Kids on the Block
The Phillies have had nine players make their major-league debuts this season, third-most in the majors. Rookies who've appeared for the club in chronological order:
Brock Stassi (April 3)
Andrew Knapp (April 6)
Mark Leiter Jr. (April 28)
Nick Pivetta (April 30)
Ricardo Pinto (May 31)
Ben Lively (June 3)
Cameron Perkins (June 20)
Hoby Milner (June 24)
Nick Williams (June 30).
Note: The Reds (11) and the Yankees (10) are the only teams to have played more rookies.
Crowd Control
But hey, attendance is up!
Overall averages
Ten home dates before All-Star break:
Painful splits
Phillies records
Note: The Phillies were 28-23 in one-run games last season. In their first 35 one-run games in 2016, they were 21-14. … The Phils were 11-9 in late April before being swept by the Dodgers in a series lowlighted by Hector Neris' giving up three consecutive home runs in the bottom of the ninth in a walkoff loss.
The bright spots
April 8: Scored a team-record 12 runs in the first inning and beat the Nationals, 17-3. The Phillies took two of three in that series.
Pat Neshek has made 38 appearances and been unscored on in 36. That number, 36, also happens to be his age, which is why he likely will be traded soon. In fact, he better be.
Aaron Nola has pitched at least seven innings in each of his last four starts, posting a 1.53 ERA in those 29 1/3 innings.
Aaron Altherr sure has the look of a major-league ballplayer.
It was good to see Carlos Ruiz when he returned to Citizens Bank Park on May 9. What was not nice is when Chooch smacked a three-run double the following day to help the Mariners sweep the brief, two-game series.
Freddy Galvis briefly injected some life into a moribund clubhouse by saying, "We have to (bleeping) play harder every single day," after a loss to the Diamondbacks dropped the club to 24-51. The Phils responded by winning four of six, but then lost five of six to stagger into the All-Star break.
Phillies hit six home runs in the win over the Padres on Sunday. Was a much more pleasant way to end the first half than being potentially swept by San Diego.
Remaining series
With opponent's won-lost record
July 14-16: at Milwaukee, 50-41
July 17-19: at Miami, 41-46
July 20: Off day
July 21-23: Milwaukee, 50-41
July 24-26: Houston, 60-29
July 27: Off day
July 28-31: Atlanta, 42-45
July 31: Non-waiver trade deadline
Aug. 1-3: at L.A. Angels, 45-47
Aug. 4-6: at Colorado, 52-39
Aug. 7: Off day
Aug. 8-9: at Atlanta, 42-45
Aug. 10-13: N.Y. Mets, 39-47
Aug. 14-16: at San Diego, 38-50
Aug. 17-20: at San Francisco, 34-56
Aug. 21: Off day
Aug. 22-24: Miami, 41-46
Aug. 25-27: Chicago Cubs, 43-45
Aug. 28-30: Atlanta, 42-45
Aug. 31-Sept. 3: at Miami, 41-46
Aug. 31: Trade deadline (waivers required)
Sept. 4-6: at N.Y. Mets, 39-47
Sept. 7-10: at Washington, 52-36
Sept. 11: Off day
Sept. 12-14: Miami, 41-46
Sept. 15-17: Oakland, 39-50
Sept. 18-21: L.A. Dodgers, 61-29
Sept. 22-24: at Atlanta, 42-45
Sept. 25-27: Washington, 52-36
Sept. 28-Oct. 1: N.Y. Mets, 39-47
End regular season
Words matter
"Well, it was a good game for 10 innings." – Pete Mackanin after an 8-1 loss to the Cardinals in 11 innings on June 20.