The Philadelphia Phillies bullpen delivers against the Milwaukee Brewers to avoid a sweep. In five innings on September 3, the Phillies bullpen held the Brewers scoreless. Five different relievers appeared for the Phillies and combined to allow two hits. After an August that saw Craig Kimbrel have a 1-3 record with a 5.73 ERA in 11 appearances, he started September going in the right direction. Kimbrel closed out the game for his 22nd save of the season. This comes after a meltdown from the bullpen on September 1 that saw José Alvarado and Jeff Hoffman fail to hold a Phillies lead. To be fair to Alvarado and Hoffman, the Phillies would not have blown the information if it were not for a misplay by Alec Bohm. That play directly led to the Brewers taking a lead they did not relinquish.
Reliever Steps Up As Phillies Bullpen Delivers
In recent games, Hoffman has been the best reliever for the Phillies. During his last seven appearances, Hoffman has a 1.42 ERA and eight strikeouts, allowing one earned run in that span. Given that Kimbrel has appeared in 60 games this season, Hoffman should be allowed to close where needed. Heading into the postseason, the Phillies need as many closer options as possible. Having pitchers other than Kimbrel and Alvardo close would give the Phillies more flexibility in high-leverage situations. This season, Hoffman has a 1.26 ERA in the eighth inning. Hoffman has yet to allow an earned run in five innings pitched during the ninth inning. Given the success in later innings, having Hoffman close in certain instances is not as crazy of an idea as it sounds.
Phillies Leadoff Hitter Closes In On-Team Record
Having Kyle Schwarber bat leadoff has been the most discussed Phillies lineup decision. While Schwarber has a low batting average, he makes up for that with power. After hitting leadoff home runs in back-to-back games against the Brewers, Schwarber is now tied with Jimmy Rollins for the team record for leadoff home runs in a season with nine. Rollins won the NL MVP award during the 2007 season in which he set that mark. In addition, Schwaber became the third Phillies player to hit a leadoff home run in consecutive games. The others to accomplish that are Rollins, who did it twice, and Randy Ready, who did it in 1989. Additionally, Schwarber has 12 home runs and 17 RBI in the first inning this season. When batting first in the order this season, Schwarber has 26 home runs and 61 RBI.
This season, Schwarber has a .190/.337/.464 line with 39 home runs and 88 RBI. Heading into the September 3 games, Schwarber had a .343 wOBA, a 115 wRC+, and a 118 OPS+. Schwarber also has been walked 106 times this season and has struck out a league-leading 175 times this season. Phillies manager Rob Thomson has clarified that Schwarber will remain in the leadoff spot. That is as long as Schwarber is in the lineup. Schwarber may become the first player to have at least 40 home runs in a season with a batting average below the Mendoza Line. This will undoubtedly be one of baseball’s most unusual and unique single-season stat lines. Baseball historians and statisticians will study this season for Schwarber for the rest of time.
Team Continues August Home Run Trends
After a record-setting August that saw the Phillies set a new team record for home runs in a month, they continue to go deep. The team has matched a record six-game streak during the 1969 season for consecutive games with multiple home runs. In addition, the team has now hit a home run in 16 straight games. That is two games away from matching the team record set during the 2008 season. Three players on the team have at least 20 home runs this season. That list includes Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, and Trea Turner, who have 22 and 21 home runs, respectively. Recently, Turner has hit a home run in five of his last six games incl, including a game with multiple home runs on August 28. The Phillies rank 11th in home runs this season with 179 as a team.
Main Photo Credits: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
