April 03, 2024
Bill Streicher/USA Today Sports
Bryce Harper leads the Phillies with three homers — all hit on Tuesday.
Everyone knows that the Phillies, particularly in recent seasons, don't really start playing good baseball until the weather gets warm.
So it comes as no surprise that April (and March) have been a struggle so far. The Phils dropped the first and third games of a three-game set against the Reds, and are now 2-6 on the year. Frustrations from last year have been everywhere.
Here are a quintet of awards for the Phillies, good bad and ugly, after their second series loss of the season:
There's really only one place to start. After going 0-for his first 11 to start the 2024 season, Bryce Harper just exploded for three homers, one of them a grand slam, and single-handedly beat the Reds Tuesday evening.
That's the version of MVP Harper who was essentially doing the exact same thing a few years ago here in Philly. Our Shamus Clancy wrote more about Harper's big night here.
The quality of the defense behind Zack Wheeler Wednesday night — with errors from Bryce Harper and Bryson Stott (and a J.T. Realmuto drop that was changed to a 'no play') — forced the ace to make extra pitches on a wet, windy and chilly night that seemed ripe for mistake making. Add to that some questionable decisions in right field for Nick Castellanos, and you have a pretty ugly defense.
And while it's easy to give the team a pass for the snafu's made on the blustery diamond, it is ultimately what cost the Phils a series victory. Wheeler struck out 10 and allowed three hits... pretty good. The offense never got warmed up, save for a Kyle Schwarber solo shot in the sixth. This Phillies team was designed to slug the ball but also muff it on defense. This is what happens when the defense is lacking at the same time as the team's bats.
There is this point that you can get to, as a sports fan, where hating a guy for being terrible so much can start to make you feel a little guilty, or bad for all the negative vibes.
That is kind of what's happened with Phillies reliever Connor Brogdon, who followed up a dreadful Opening Day performance (two runs allowed with one out recorded) and an outing the next day that also saw him allow an earned run, with a grand slam surrendered to Cincinnati's Spencer Streer. In a tie game. In extra innings.
Brogron was quickly designated for assignment and replaced with the next man we'll recognize.
Pinto's story is just too good. He was in Rochester, NY Tuesday with the Iron Pigs and had to hop in a car — because no flight was available. His ride hit traffic and he didn't arrive in Philadelphia until the fourth inning, at which point he still had to sign his MLB contract and get into the bullpen. Not long after, he was on the mound, earning a rarely seen four-inning save.
The 30-year-old journeyman was making his third appearance in the majors, the first actually coming in six appearance with the lowly 2017 Phils. It's unclear how long he'll remain in the majors with Orion Kirkering and Dylan Covey each nearing a return — but it was quite the eventful day for the pitcher to say the least.
It was cold and rainy all week in Philly. Fans braved the elements Tuesday and were rewarded by a Harper gem. They were then punished on Wednesday, as the Phillies first pushed their 1 p.m. start to 4 p.m., and then — according to reports — were committed to keeping their off day Thursday come hell or high water. A few thousand fans hung around hoping to see a baseball game and more than seven hours after the ticket said the game would start, it finally did. They were not treated to. much of a show.
There were many ways to avoid this — which was also pretty awful for the hundreds of Citizens Bank Park employees. The Phillies will get more of this weather in June when they travel to England to face the Mets. They'll also get to relax Thursday before heading to Washington, DC and St. Louis.
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