PHILADELPHIA _ The 46th home run allowed by a Phillies pitcher this season sailed deep into the left-field stands at Citizens Bank Park. Vince Velasquez peeked at the ball's flight path. Then he knew. A pack of bundled fans goaded a person to throw the ball back onto the grass. They cheered that act.
The weather is not warm, yet Phillies pitchers have been abused by the long ball like never before. They lost, 6-2, for the eighth time in nine games. Washington scored five runs on two swings that launched baseballs a combined 796 feet.
The Phillies lead the National League in homers allowed. They are on pace to surrender the second-most home runs by a pitching staff in major league history. It is barely May, but that is an overwhelming concern for this young collection of arms.
Those 46 home runs permitted have accounted for 58 percent of the earned runs against the Phillies in 2017.
The record for the most homers allowed by one team is 258, by the Cincinnati Reds last season. The Phillies, through 29 games, are on pace to cede 257 homers. The club record is owned by the 2004 Phillies, who managed to win 86 games despite 214 home runs allowed in the first season at the new ballpark. That prompted the team to adjust the stadium's dimensions.
Home runs are up across the game; entering the day, the average amount allowed by a team was 34. That is nothing more than a convenient excuse for these Phillies.
"I think it's just a matter of locating pitches," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "It's pitching. I think, possibly, that in baseball the premium put on velocity has something to do with that to where it doesn't matter how hard you throw, you still have to locate."
Velasquez has surrendered at least one home run in each one of his starts this season. Fifteen of his 22 earned runs have scored on a homer.
On Saturday, both home-run pitches were inside to righties. One was a ball, another was close. But the Nationals crushed both.
Ryan Zimmerman smashed his 13th homer on a change-up, down and in. Velasquez yelled an expletive as soon as bat met ball. Through the first five innings, that was the only damage against Velasquez. He threw an economical 69 pitches. He struck out seven and walked none. He looked poised against a powerful lineup.
That faded in the sixth inning. Jayson Werth and Daniel Murphy singled to left. Zimmerman shot a laser to right field, right at Michael Saunders, who never saw it. It glided over his head and to the base of the wall for a run-scoring double. The fans booed.
Velasquez started the next hitter, Anthony Rendon, with two fastballs. The count was 1-1. He threw a 95-mph fastball inside. Rendon turned on it.
Six starts and 331/3 innings have yielded uneven results for Velasquez. He has a 5.94 ERA against, admittedly, stiff competition. He has faced the Nationals twice, the Mets twice, then the Cubs and the Marlins once apiece. His next start will come against Washington, the highest-scoring team in baseball, yet again.
He marked his 37th start in the majors Saturday with a seven-inning outing for just the fourth time in his career. He didn't walk a batter. Those were the slivers of hope, and that is more than enough to keep Velasquez on the mound every fifth day.
It could have been worse. Zimmerman nearly homered in the second inning, but Odubel Herrera preserved a scoreless tie with a leaping grab against the center-field fence. Velasquez raised his arms in the air to celebrate. His luck would not last long.
