Phillies starters continue to slip against Sox

PHILADELPHIA -- There has been a fascination recently, maybe even an obsession, with the Phillies’ leadoff hitter.

The truth is the Phils’ play this past week has not hinged on who hit first.

Philadelphia has lost six consecutive games, following Saturday night’s 7-4 loss to the Red Sox at Citizens Bank Park, and it is easy to see why. Phillies starters have a 9.91 ERA (29 earned runs in 26 2/3 innings) in those losses and a 5.03 ERA this season, including the five runs left-hander Bailey Falter allowed in 3 2/3 innings on Saturday.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it is the first time Phils starters have allowed four-plus runs in at least six consecutive starts since a six-game stretch from Sept. 1-7, 2015.

It is just the second time Phillies starters have done that since April 2009, when they allowed four-plus runs in seven consecutive starts.

“I guess every guy has been a little different,” catcher J.T. Realmuto said. “We’re just not being consistent. We’re falling behind a little too often. We’re getting in a lot of three-ball counts. It’s not all the time. It seems like it’s one inning every outing where we just kind of lose focus. For the most part, the guys have thrown the ball well.

“It’s once things start happening it seems to tumble pretty quickly and kind of snowball on us. When we get guys out there [on the bases], just slow it down the best we can. Just figure out a way to get through it. It just seems like it’s speeding up on us and we’re not able to make the big pitch when we need to.”

Falter (0-6, 5.75 ERA) retired the first nine batters he faced through three innings, then faced nine batters in the fourth inning as the Red Sox scored five runs to take a 5-1 lead.

“I honestly don’t know what happened,” Falter said.

“The first time through, he got two strikes then finished people off,” manager Rob Thomson said. “He expanded, they expanded. The second time through, he got two strikes, he left some balls in the middle of the plate. He didn’t expand, he didn’t finish them off.”

Asked if he expects Falter to make his next start, Thomson said, “I do at this point. We have not talked about anything else.”

Phillies left-hander Ranger Suárez could provide a lift to the rotation next weekend in Colorado. He will make a rehab start on Sunday with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. If he is healthy, he will rejoin the team in Denver.

Suárez will replace left-hander Matt Strahm, who has moved to the bullpen. Strahm posted the best ERA of Phillies starters this season (3.51 ERA in six starts), but he has not pitched more than 44 2/3 innings in a season since 2019.

The Phils think Strahm’s workload as a starter was unsustainable.

“We don’t want him to break,” Thomson said recently.

Beyond Suárez, there are few viable options to help. Philadelphia knew that might be the case entering the season. The Phillies said they wanted to sign more veteran starters before Spring Training, but those starters did not see much of an opportunity behind Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Taijuan Walker and Suárez.

Right-hander Nick Nelson will start on Sunday with Double-A Reading. He has pitched well recently, but Thomson said he sees Nelson more as a “bulk reliever.”

IronPigs left-handers Michael Plassmeyer (1-2, 6.75 ERA) and Cristopher Sánchez (0-1, 4.00 ERA) are the only other starters on the 40-man roster. Noah Skirrow is 3-0 with a 3.38 ERA with the IronPigs. He is not on the 40-man roster.

Mick Abel, ranked as the club’s No. 2 prospect by MLB Pipeline, is 2-1 with a 2.53 ERA with Double-A Reading. No. 1 prospect Andrew Painter is progressing slowly following a UCL injury in his right elbow in March.

“We just have to keep planning better, executing better,” Thomson said. “I have full faith in all of them, really. We just have to do a better job.”

The Phillies turn to Walker (6.91 ERA) in Sunday’s series finale against Boston. He allowed eight runs in 3 1/3 innings on Monday in Los Angeles.

“I have all the confidence in the world in Tai,” Realmuto said. “He’s kind of the same as the rest of the guys. He’s just got to attack really. He’s got really good stuff. Get ahead of guys and put them away.”