Two Big Early Overreactions for the Phillies
Wednesday afternoon resulted in a 9-8 rollercoaster loss to the Nationals, which dethroned the Phillies as the only undefeated team left in baseball. Wednesday’s game proved that the Phillies can’t be counted out of any game, but the team is far from perfect.
After the first full week of baseball, the Phillies have a 4-1 record to their name, but there are two operations fans need to avoid.
First: The Phillies need Craig Kimbrel
David Robertson lost Wednesday’s game by issuing three straight walks after Anthony Rendon singled to center field. In his defense, Robertson only had four spring training starts and simply needs more outings under his belt. If the Phillies truly needed Kimbrel or another high-quality relief pitcher, the front office would have done so in the offseason. Tommy Hunter is currently on the injured list and when fully healthy will play a pivotal role in stabilizing the bullpen. Pitchers are creatures of habit and as the Phillies get into the summer months of the season, the bullpen will be fully locked in.
Second: The Phillies will have an easy path to the playoffs
If there is anything we have seen from the first two series so far it is that the divisional games against rivals will be incredibly tough. Once the Braves are fully healthy, they are going to give the Phillies a run for their money. Freddie Freeman continues to prove that he was made to hit against the Phillies.
On Tuesday evening, after a rain delay, Bryce Harper made his homecoming to Washington D.C. Harper’s presence on the Phillies has made playing in D.C. a very hostile environment. The combo of Juan Soto and Anthony Rendon are going to make the Phillies pitchers’ lives hell when going through the heart of the Nationals lineup. Nothing in baseball is guaranteed and a good reminder is the 2018 Mets. They started 11-1 and finished 77-85, fourth in the NL East. The NL East is a juggernaut of a division, but the Phillies are built to win.
The Phillies have scored 39 runs in five games so far this year, in comparison to the start of 2018, where they took seven games to score 39 runs. This was due to the Phillies scoring 20 runs against the Marlins on April 7th.
Featured Image: USA Today
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