Leaky bullpen has Phillies flirting with disaster
The Philadelphia Phillies escaped with a 5-4 win over the New York Mets in 10 innings on Friday, bringing their magic number to clinch a playoff berth down to three games.
However, after another nail-biting effort from the Phillies relievers, the team's bullpen is becoming a concern as the postseason nears. Against the Mets, the Phillies bullpen gave up the tying or go-ahead run for the sixth time in 13 games. An Alec Bohm walk-off single bailed the team out.
As Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia pointed out, the Phillies are 7-6 over that stretch. Still, four of the Phillies' six losses came when the bullpen goofed late in games, including winnable matchups against the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals, along with two dropped contests to the National League-leading Atlanta Braves.
With eight games left on their regular-season schedule, only a monumental collapse stands in the way of the Phillies and one of the NL's three wildcard spots. However, a leaky bullpen has made the task of getting there more difficult than needed.
The Phillies bullpen has been part Jekyll, part Hyde. At times, the likes of Matt Straham and Jeff Hoffman have been the club's most reliable arms. Meanwhile, veterans Gregory Soto and Craig Kimbrel have struggled to find consistency. On Friday, the pair gave up two earned runs off three hits in 1 2/3 innings combined.
Things are getting so dire that the Phillies are looking to their farm system for help. While starter Michael Lorenzen, fresh off a no-hitter, will likely join the pen, the Phillies also called up an intriguing prospect with a killer name, Orion Kerkering.
A hard-throwing right-hander capable of hitting 102 mph, Kerkering began the year playing with the organization's Low-A team in Clearwater but quickly shot up the ranks. On the farm this season, Kerkering has sported a 1.51 ERA and 0.89 WHIP, with 14 saves and 79 strikeouts, earning the Paul Owens Award, given to the best pitcher in the team's minor league system.
The Phillies are digging deep, looking for some depth ahead of a potential playoff run. Nevertheless, one thing is clear, the team's relievers must be better and quick if the they aspire to return to the World Series.
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