Notes From The Phillies’ 6-2 Loss To Cincinnati

The Philadelphia Phillies lost their first game of the regular season on Monday afternoon, falling to the Reds 6-2.

On The Mound

• Jeremy Hellickson got the call on Opening Day. The righthander went six innings, allowing one unearned run on just three hits while striking out six and walking none.
• Hellickson allowed a leadoff double in the first, and the runner would later come around to score thanks in part to an error in the field.
• Hellickson responded well to the the two-run homer from Freddy Galvis, responding with a quick one-two-three inning in the second.
• In the third, Hellickson forced a double-play to end the inning. He would go on to retire eight straight batters before allowing another hit in the sixth.
• Hellickson’s best moment may have come in the sixth inning. Facing Reds’ slugger Joey Votto with two out and a runner on third, Hellickson fell behind in the count 3-0, but came back to strike out Votto for the third time in the game.
• Hellickson had only thrown 79 pitches through six innings, but Pete Mackanin opted to lift his starter in the seventh inning and turn things over to the bullpen. I thought the move was a mistake; with Hellickson is such a strong groove, he could have likely gotten through the seventh inning and spared Mackanin of going to his untested bullpen in a tight game an inning earlier.
• Jeanmar Gomez was the first to enter the game, picking up a strikeout in a clean seventh inning.
• David Hernandez got the call in eighth and turned in a pitiful showing. Hernandez faced three batters, and failed to record a single out. He immeidatly walked the first man he faced, gave up a double to put men at second and third with none out, and then issued a walk to load the bases. He was charged with three earned runs and the loss.
• Herandez was lifted in favor of lefty James Russell, who allowed a run to score on a sacrifice fly, and then gave up a two-run single to Joey Votto. Russell would be charged with two earned runs of his own.
• Hector Neris recorded the final two outs of the eigth, allowing a couple of inherited runners to score.

At The Plate

• The Phillies’ starting outfields have been quite the laughingstock in recent years, and today’s opening lineup of Odubel Herrera, Cedric Hunter, and Peter Bourjos doesn’t exactly do much to change to that. Sure, it’s better than Delmon Young, Domonic Brown, and Ben Revere, but that’s an improvement over what was literally rock bottom.
• Freddy Galvis put the team’s first runs on the board with a two-run homer in the second inning. Galvis came to the plate with two outs and a man on, and crushed a pitch over the right field fence.
• Cesar Hernandez hit out of the leadoff spot, and began the game with a double. Hernandez picked up another hit in his second at-bat, finishing the game 2-4.
• Odubel Herrera struggled out of the two-hole, going 0-3 with a walk, and nearly grounded into a double-play.
• Maikel Franco went 1-4 with a single and two strikeouts.
• Ryan Howard turned in a miserable debut, going 0-3 with a strikeout. Howard came to the plate in the first inning with a runner on second and two out, and swung at the first pitch, feebly grounding out to first. He was pinch-hit for by Darin Ruf in the eighth inning.
• Carlos Ruiz singled in the second inning, and went 1-4 on the day.
• Starting corner outfielders Cedric Hunter and Peter Bourjos combined to go 0-8 with four strikeouts.

In The Field

• Ryan Howard butchered a play in the first inning that led to an unearned run. Freddy Galvis didn’t make a great throw on the play, but Howard gave a poor effort trying to scoop it up, leading to an early deficit and a longer inning of work Jeremy Hellickson.

Final Thoughts

The Phils’ debut was spoiled by an absolutely horrendous eighth inning. The bullpen’s first showing was very concerning, featuring a great deal of unknowns, including a completely uncertain backend that may well be this team’s Achilles heel throughout the season.

This Phillies season in all likelihood won’t amount to much in terms of wins, but it should be a fun distraction as the Eagles get closer to training camp.

They have some good young arms in the starting rotation, and a couple of good talents in the lineup. As the season goes along, more of that promise should arrive from the minor leagues.

Its just so refreshing to see some fresh faces and a little bit of hope for the future.

For the first time in five years, the team isn’t trying to sell fans on the idea that they’re still evaluating Domonic Brown and haven’t given up on him. We haven’t had to hear the tired message that the “old core” has one more good run left in them.

Best of all, we are no longer being disgraced and insulted by the presence of the immeasurably incompetent Ruben Amaro, who was mercifully shown the door.

It may take a few more years, but the Phillies are finally heading in the right direction. Let’s sit back and enjoy it.