- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,265,852
- Reaction score
- 59
Since the All-Star break, the Philadelphia Phillies’ bullpen is 3-6 with a 4.39 ERA. Their six blown saves trail only the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals, two teams who have effectively punted on the 2026 season.
The Phillies used the Aug. 3 MLBtrade deadline to acquire two relievers (left-hander Brooks Raley from the New York Mets and right-hander Caleb Kilian from the San Francisco Giants), but the bullpen remains a work in progress.
Of the three losses they have suffered since the deadline, two came in extra innings. On Aug. 5, Kilian and Chase Shugart combined to allow six runs in the 10th inning of a loss to the Washington Nationals. Three days later, the Toronto Blue Jays scored one run in the 10th inning and two in the 11th to beat the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, with Shugart absorbing the loss.
MORE: Former American League batting champion, 33, announces retirement from MLB
Right-hander Alan Rangel wasn’t necessarily the biggest problem the Phillies’ bullpen faced. But he quite nearly wasted a rare good start from Andrew Painter in the Phillies’ 6-5 win over the Cardinals on Aug. 11.
One day later, the Phillies optioned Rangel to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and promoted Alex McFarlane to take his place.
Rangel, 28, had a 5.88 ERA in seven games (three starts) this season. McFarlane threw a scoreless inning for the Phillies earlier in the season, and had a 2.06 ERA in 32 games for the Phillies’ top farm team.
MORE: Mets nixed trade with Diamondbacks before deal with Cubs: report
Adding injury to insult, Phillies manager Don Mattingly told reporters Sunday that Kilian has an oblique injury. He was placed on the 15-day IL on Monday and Shugart took his place on the active roster.
Kilian, who had a 4.26 ERA, 3.59 FIP and more than a strikeout per inning prior to the trade, was supposed to help shore up the Phillies’ greatest weakness.
Now, they’ll look to maintain their one-game lead for the National League’s third Wild Card berth with many of the same pitchers who got them to this point.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —
Continue reading...
The Phillies used the Aug. 3 MLBtrade deadline to acquire two relievers (left-hander Brooks Raley from the New York Mets and right-hander Caleb Kilian from the San Francisco Giants), but the bullpen remains a work in progress.
Of the three losses they have suffered since the deadline, two came in extra innings. On Aug. 5, Kilian and Chase Shugart combined to allow six runs in the 10th inning of a loss to the Washington Nationals. Three days later, the Toronto Blue Jays scored one run in the 10th inning and two in the 11th to beat the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, with Shugart absorbing the loss.
MORE: Former American League batting champion, 33, announces retirement from MLB
Right-hander Alan Rangel wasn’t necessarily the biggest problem the Phillies’ bullpen faced. But he quite nearly wasted a rare good start from Andrew Painter in the Phillies’ 6-5 win over the Cardinals on Aug. 11.
One day later, the Phillies optioned Rangel to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and promoted Alex McFarlane to take his place.
Rangel, 28, had a 5.88 ERA in seven games (three starts) this season. McFarlane threw a scoreless inning for the Phillies earlier in the season, and had a 2.06 ERA in 32 games for the Phillies’ top farm team.
MORE: Mets nixed trade with Diamondbacks before deal with Cubs: report
Adding injury to insult, Phillies manager Don Mattingly told reporters Sunday that Kilian has an oblique injury. He was placed on the 15-day IL on Monday and Shugart took his place on the active roster.
Kilian, who had a 4.26 ERA, 3.59 FIP and more than a strikeout per inning prior to the trade, was supposed to help shore up the Phillies’ greatest weakness.
Now, they’ll look to maintain their one-game lead for the National League’s third Wild Card berth with many of the same pitchers who got them to this point.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —
Continue reading...
