Phillies bullpen squanders Nola’s start

PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies discussed their best path to the postseason earlier this month and determined if they had any chance to win a National League Wild Card, they needed Aaron Nola to pitch every five days the rest of the season.

The decision spoke to the construction of a shaky rotation.

But their beleaguered bullpen turned a tie game in the eighth inning Friday night into an 11-5 loss to the Mets at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies are 0-2 in Nola’s first two starts on the five-day plan, despite his 2.70 ERA, including his one-run performance in 6 1/3 innings against the Mets.

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Philadelphia began Tuesday one game behind the Cubs for the second NL Wild Card spot. It finished Friday 3 1/2 games back with 29 games to play. Even if Nola pitches well in his next six starts, it will not matter if he does not get better run support and a better effort from the Phillies’ relievers.

“Anything can happen,” Nola said about the team’s postseason chances. “I’ll keep saying that.”

Friday’s loss highlighted a season-long problem for Phillies manager Gabe Kapler: He has had to navigate through close games with a makeshift bullpen. Philadelphia essentially opened the season with late-inning relievers David Robertson and Tommy Hunter on the injured list. (They pitched a combined 12 innings this season.) The team later lost Victor Arano, Seranthony Dominguez, Edubray Ramos, Pat Neshek, Adam Morgan and Juan Nicasio.

The Phillies, however, chose to plug those holes with converted starters (Ranger Suarez, Nick Pivetta, Vince Velasquez and Zach Eflin at various times) and late additions from other teams (Mike Morin, Blake Parker and Jared Hughes).

Asked if he has felt hamstrung with his late-inning bullpen options, Kapler only said he felt pretty good about having Morin start the eighth with the game tied at 1. But Morin loaded the bases with one out, then allowed a two-run single to Amed Rosario to hand the Mets a 3-1 lead. Hughes replaced him, and Todd Frazier hit a 1-0 sinker for a three-run homer to make it 6-1.

The Twins designated Morin for assignment on July 16. The Phillies traded cash considerations for him on July 19. He had pitched pretty well in his first 15 appearances with the Phillies, going 1-0 with a 3.06 ERA.

“Aaron Nola is a stud,” Morin said. “He’s a star. Where we’re at in the season, anytime he takes the ball you want to win that game. Anytime you give it up, you don’t want to give it up. Tonight, it kind of hurt a little worse.”

Hughes has not pitched well since the Phillies claimed him off waivers from the Reds on Aug. 15. He had a reputation as an effective sinkerball pitcher that kept the ball on the ground. He has faced 27 batters with Philadelphia, and he has allowed four home runs. He gave up five homers while facing 199 batters with the Reds this season, and just four in a span of 298 batters last season.

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“For the most part, it’s been me missing middle; tonight, it was not middle, and he still got it,” Hughes said. “I think overall it’s keeping a good mix and really getting ahead in the count. I’m definitely better when I’m ahead in the count. I fell behind 1-0, and he just sat on that pitch and he got it. For me, it’s imperative that I get ahead in the count, and I didn’t right there. I need to be better next time.”

Phillies rookie Edgar Garcia allowed five runs in the ninth to turn the game into a rout. Philadelphia scored four runs in the ninth, but it scored just once in six innings against Mets starter Zack Wheeler. An extra run or two early might have helped.

The Phillies almost had one in the fifth, but Corey Dickerson was called out on a play at the plate. Replay officials could not definitely determine if Dickeron’s hand touched home plate during his slide, nor could they definitively determine if Mets catcher Rene Rivera did not tag Dickerson before he returned to touch home plate.

It was a frustrating loss, close game or blowout, since the Phillies are in must-wins when Nola starts.

“Every game is so valuable right now,” Kapler said. “It's very disappointing. When Nola pitches for us, we expect to win that day. To not have that win under our belt to start off the series is tough.”