Andrew Painter Dishes on Bizarre Outing Against Diamondbacks

The young hurler had been scratched from his third start. However, a few minutes later, he went to the bullpen and started to feel better after the medicine he had taken earlier in the morning began working its magic.

As the game moved along, he began to feel better and better. After Pop worked the first two innings of the game, surrendering a run in the second, Painter emerged from the bullpen in a relief role.

“I didn’t know the extent of how long I was going to be able to go out, how good I was feeling,” Painter said, via Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic (subscription required). “But I wanted to go out there and at least get a couple innings to take that off the bullpen.”

The young right-hander certainly achieved that. He did more than just give the team a couple of innings, making it through five frames and helping put the team in a position to win the game.

Painter allowed only three hits and one walk, with a single run being scored against him in the top of the sixth inning when Nolan Arenado hit a sac fly. He struck out seven in a truly dominant outing.

Philadelphia took the lead in the bottom of that inning courtesy of a Trea Turner two-run home run and a Bryce Harper RBI double.

Alas, it wasn’t meant to be for Painter to get his second victory. Jose Alvarado was charged with two earned runs, managing to get only one out in relief of Painter at the start of the eighth inning.

But it was very encouraging for the Phillies to see Painter battle through his migraines and gut it out for the team. It was too bad his efforts weren’t rewarded with a victory, but great that he was able to bounce back from a tough outing against San Francisco as well.