Mariners solve Falter in middle innings on a quiet night for Phillies’ offense originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Bailey Falter said after his start a week ago in Chicago that he feels his outings always come down to one or two pitches.
Many starts do, and mistakes tend to be remembered more when they’re hit a long way. It was the case again for Falter Tuesday night in a 5-3 loss to the visiting Seattle Mariners.
“Same (bleep) I’ve been telling you guys all season,” he said in the clubhouse afterwards.
Falter had allowed just one baserunner through four innings, working efficiently and holding the Mariners’ right-handed bats hitless in 13 ABs. The baserunner was Jarred Kelenic, who doubled, then homered 424 feet to start the scoring in the fifth. The former Mets prospect traded for Edwin Diaz is locked in to begin 2023, finally living up to the hype.
The Mariners began to solve Falter in that fifth inning, scoring a second run and forcing him to throw 33 pitches. Manager Rob Thomson left him out for the sixth and Falter struck out Ty France looking, then gave up a double to Eugenio Suarez and threw a self-described “cement mixer” to Teoscar Hernandez for a game-changing two-run homer. Hernandez leads the majors in slugging percentage against lefties since the start of 2021, but a lot of players would have hit this particular hanging 76 mph breaking ball hard.
“He threw a lot of pitches (in the fifth) inning but was still throwing the ball well,” Thomson said. “Struck out the first guy in the sixth, then the Suarez double and he left a ball out over the plate for a home run. But overall, Bailey threw the ball extremely well. He threw strikes, all of his pitches were working, he leaned on his breaking ball, mixed in some good changeups.
“I thought he was still throwing the ball well.”
Falter was charged for four runs (three earned) in six innings and fell to 0-4 with a 4.50 ERA. Last Tuesday against the White Sox, Jake Burger laced a three-run homer to left field against him in the first inning, then the lefty settled in. From the second inning in Chicago through the fifth inning Tuesday night, Falter had gone 10 scoreless innings with two hits.
“If you watch most games, guys make one or two mistakes or more, but lately it’s been costing him because he’s pitched much better than his record,” Thomson said.
Edmundo Sosa hit a solo home run to left field in the fifth inning for the Phillies’ first run. The Phils have hit eight homers in their last three games after managing just 19 in their first 21.
They had another big opportunity in the sixth, down three runs with the bases loaded and one out. Alec Bohm grounded a ball hard between first and second base but France was positioned well and left his feet to field it on a hop, getting the force-out at second base. A hang-with-’em. A foot to the right and it might be a two-run single. Sosa struck out to end the inning with two aboard.
Pinch-hitting Jake Cave singled in a run with two outs in the ninth to give Bryson Stott an opportunity as the tying run but Stott struck out to end the game against Mariners closer Paul Sewald.
Cristian Pache started in left field and picked up two more hits. He is 8 for 17 with two doubles and a homer since his rough first week as a Phillie. He was not initially in the Phillies’ lineup Tuesday but the Mariners started soft-tossing veteran lefty Marco Gonzales rather than difficult young right-hander Logan Gilbert, who was moved back to Wednesday because of muscle spasms in his shoulder/back.
Gonzales had several Phillies hitters way out in front, including Trea Turner, who was ahead 2-0 in the count with two men aboard in the third inning before Gonzales put him away with two 79 mph changeups and an 89 mph fastball. Turner went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. He’s 6 for 35 (.171) with 15 strikeouts in his last eight games with most of the damage coming in one game against the White Sox. He is also a surprising 6 for 30 (.200) this season against lefties.
“It tests your patience, for sure,” Nick Castellanos said of Gonzales’ finesse-based approach. “That’s his craft and he’s good at his craft.”
Castellanos had two more hits and is batting .315/.382/.489 during a resurgent month of April. Hits have not been a problem for the Phillies. They entered the night second in the majors in extra-base hits, third in batting average and third in OPS. The two teams ahead of them, the Rays and Cubs, have done a much better job of converting all of those hits into runs.
It’s been an inconsistent month offensively and at times like this, the Phillies lean on their experience in 2022, when they were inconsistent for five months and a playoff afterthought until they got hot late and stormed to the World Series.
They will soon have Bryce Harper back, further lengthening a lineup that has looked deep, albeit unable to come through frequently enough with runners in scoring position.
“It’s a marathon, it’s 162 games,” Castellanos said after the Phils fell to 11-13. “The postseason’s not made in April, May either.”
Taijuan Walker gets the ball in the middle game Wednesday coming off of two straight quality starts.
Subscribe to Phillies Talk: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | Art19 | Watch on YouTube