PHILADELPHIA -- When it comes to Dallas Keuchel, the pitch velocity readings are almost entirely irrelevant.

Exit velocity, however, is a different story.

Making his second start for the Twins, Keuchel was hit hard early and often in a 13-2 loss to the Phillies on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park. For just the third time in 259 career starts, Keuchel was unable to make it out of the second inning.

Keuchel did not record a strikeout for the second time in as many starts, and while that itself isn't a major issue, the veteran lefty was unable to induce the weak contact that allowed him to throw five innings of one-run ball in his 2023 debut.

“It was the same thing as last start,” Keuchel said. “But I got a few key ground balls for double plays [last time] and I just limited the damage. But today, they found the holes.”

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Keuchel was tagged for six runs off six hits and two walks before exiting with two on and two outs in the second. The night started promisingly, with Keuchel using a double-play ball to erase a leadoff walk in an otherwise clean first inning.

But after being staked to a 2-0 lead on back-to-back homers from Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler in the top of the second, Keuchel unraveled in the bottom half.

The southpaw allowed three straight hits to start the inning, including a 103.8 mph RBI double by Bryson Stott and a 104.3 mph RBI single by J.T. Realmuto. After Keuchel recored the first out on a fielder's choice, Kyle Schwarber ripped a 113.5 mph RBI single.

Keuchel's night came to an end after Nick Castellanos -- who had started the frame with a double -- roped a 102.8 mph RBI single.

“It’s very frustrating,” Keuchel said. “I feel like I’ve made some real quality pitches in my two starts here, so it’s just one of those things where, like I said, you’ve got to tip your cap a little bit. I’m a little frustrated, but at the same time, there’s nothing I can do at this point to re-correct.”

In all, four of the 10 batted balls allowed by Keuchel had an exit velocity greater than 100 mph. He allowed only two such hits on 21 batted balls in his 2023 debut against the D-backs.

Overall, the Phillies had an average exit velocity of 95.5 mph against Keuchel -- well above Arizona's 81.7 mph average exit velocity on Sunday.

“They took a few tough pitches early and they hit a few balls good,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “I think Dallas probably was around the zone, not in the zone, in the spots where he wanted to be. … I think he had a tough time getting the ball where he wanted it to.”

Through two starts, Keuchel has allowed seven runs on 14 hits and four walks while not recording a strikeout over 6 2/3 innings. He's just the third pitcher in the past 10 years -- and the first since Vance Worley in 2015 -- to allow at least 14 hits and four walks without a single strikeout over a two-start span.

This was the first misstep for Keuchel since joining the organization. He had a 1.13 ERA over 32 innings in six starts with Triple-A St. Paul prior to Sunday's solid showing against the D-backs.

“It’s just one of those things where it just didn’t go my way,” Keuchel said. “[This was the] first time since I signed here that the balls just weren’t going at anybody or getting outs.”

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While it remains unclear when Joe Ryan (left groin strain) might be ready to return, the Twins do have some options the next time through the rotation. Minnesota is idle on three of the next 10 days, including off-days on Monday and Thursday, as well as another one the following Monday.

Regardless of who's on the mound, the Twins will be searching for improved results for a rotation that has a 4.82 ERA in the second half. That ranks 21st in the Majors -- a far cry from the 3.64 ERA that was the second-best in MLB prior to the All-Star break.

“We haven’t talked about our long-term rotation,” Baldelli said. “Obviously, Joe Ryan is on the IL right now and he’s going to be working his way back soon, too. I think we have a handful of things that we need to just sit down and map out, but it won’t be done today or tomorrow. It’ll be done over the course of the next couple weeks.”