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Rob Thomson Calls Out Pair of Struggling Phillies Relievers for ‘Lack of Execution'

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matthew Sullivan | Last updated Apr 17, 2025 10:46 AM ET

The Philadelphia Phillies have a lot of issues to sort through from the beginning of their season. One of the most concerning issues has been the bullpen, and mainly with two relievers. Phillies manager Rob Thomson called out those two relievers after the game.

In Thomson's post-game press conference, he called out relievers Joe Ross and Jose Ruiz for their performances against the San Francisco Giants. When asked about Ross's struggles in recent games, Thomson didn't hold back with his criticism.

"Just execution. Not hitting his spots, getting behind in the count, that type of thing."

Ross is coming off an atrocious performance, where in one inning pitched, he allowed four hits, four earned runs, and was the reason why the game blew wide open in the Giants favor. Ross has a 5.40 ERA in 2025, and has been struggling in recent outings overall.

But Ross wasn't the only reliever who was called out by Thomson in the post-game press conference. Ruiz was also called out after coming in and walking the first batter he faced.

"Leadoff walk, you can't do that. He's gotta come in and attack the zone right there. Again, I think it's just a lack of execution."

Thomson once again called out the 'lack of execution' from his relievers. Ruiz came into the game with the bases loaded in relief of Aaron Nola and walked Willy Adames to score a run. The next batter hit a sacrifice fly, and the final batter of the inning flew out to center.

While Ruiz wasn't on the hook for any earned runs in his relief appearance, he allowed two runs to score, one of which was on a walk. Just two days prior, Ruiz had a blow-up outing against the Giants, allowing two runs on three hits in one inning pitched.

On the season, Ruiz has a 7.94 ERA and eight hits allowed in just five and two-thirds innings. Ross has been better than Ruiz statistically, but his blow-up outings have been significantly worse.

While Thomson called both Ruiz and Ross out for their 'lack of execution,' Thomson still believes in both relievers. For Ross, Thomson believes that "He'll be better." For Ruiz, Thomson thinks that "He's better than this."

The Phillies will need both Ross and Ruiz to turn the corner soon, as the offense has been struggling to begin the year, and the starting pitching is beginning to wane after a hot start.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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