May 26, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Philadelphia Phillies hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Struggles of Phillies' Relief Pitcher Early On Are Concerning

Originally posted on Philadelphia Phillies on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Apr 13, 2026 7:00 AM ET

The Philadelphia Phillies suffered a tough loss on Sunday in their series final against the Arizona Diamondbacks. In the loss, the bullpen blew the lead, and the struggles of one pitcher continued.

It was an odd day for the Phillies on Sunday. Just before the start of the game, it was announced that the scheduled starter, Andrew Painter, was scratched due to migraines. Zach Pop got the start for the team and put in two innings of work. Following Pop’s performance, it was Painter who surprisingly was warming up in the bullpen and came in relief.

Getting some extra time apparently helped him, and he performed really well for the Phillies. The young right-hander went five innings and allowed just one run. He left the game in the eighth inning with the lead and handed it over to a bullpen that, for the most part, has been very good for Philadelphia. Unfortunately, on Sunday, they saw one of their key members struggle and blow the game.

In the eighth inning with a one-run lead, the southpaw came in trying to get the ball over to Jhoan Duran in the ninth for the save. Unfortunately, Alvarado was unable to get the job done. A leadoff single by Corbin Carroll was followed by a failed sac-bunt attempt. However, Geraldo Perdomo stole second to get into scoring position, and he was knocked in with an RBI single from Jose Fernandez.

Struggles of Alvarado Continue

Following the base hit to Fernandez, Rob Thomson had a quick hook for Alvarado and turned to Jonathan Bowlan. The right-hander allowed the inherited run to score, and two earned runs overall were charged to Alvarado.

With another poor outing, the left-hander has seen his ERA balloon to 12.60 so far this season. While the bulk of that damage came against the Washington Nationals early on, this is already the third appearance of the young season in which he has allowed a run, and the second time it was a multi-run game.

The left-hander was suspended for a good chunk of the 2025 campaign and was ineligible to pitch in the playoffs last year because of that. However, he has proven in the past that he can be a high-leverage option for the Phillies out of the bullpen.

With another poor outing to start the year, it will be interesting to see what his role is going forward. Sunday was certainly a winnable game for the Phillies, and while it wasn’t all his fault, his struggles did contribute to the loss.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia Phillies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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