MILWAUKEE _ The first Brewers batter Vince Velasquez faced Friday night reached on a walk. The next batter slapped a single to center field.
It took just 12 pitches in a 6-4 win to begin to believe that the Vince Velasquez Bullpen Experience was just a one-night wonder. The Miller Park crowd was building toward a fevered pitch and a tie game seemed set to be broken.
Velasquez, who learned a night earlier in a text message that he was headed to the bullpen for at least a few days, was in trouble after just two batters.
It was then that he found resolve. Velasquez struck out the next two batters on six pitches, all of which were fastballs. He earned the last out of the inning when Christian Yelich was caught stealing home after trying to score when J.T. Realmuto threw to second base. Instead, Jean Segura stepped toward the throw and perfectly executed a throw back to Realmuto to nab Yelich.
Velasquez, who threw 21 pitches in the fifth, returned for the sixth and retired the three batters he faced, two of which were strikeouts. He threw 12 more pitches, 11 of which were fastballs. Velasquez faced seven batters and struck out four of them. All but three of his 33 pitches were fastballs. Velasquez, after his early scare, looked like a shutdown reliever.
It is uncertain how long Velasquez will be in the bullpen. Gabe Kapler said before the game that he could still start on Tuesday night. But Friday night offered a tempting glimpse of what Velasquez could bring in the later innings.
"Just throw me out there," Velasquez said before the game. "I have a job to do. My job as a pitcher is to get guys out. So I'll do whatever I have to do to get them out. Second, third inning. I don't care. If I'm told to do my job, I'm doing my job. Flat-out simple."
The Phillies awarded Velasquez with the winning decision as Andrew McCutchen doubled to left field in the sixth and Rhys Hoskins hit a 403-foot homer in the seventh. The Phillies have won six of their last eight games. They followed a split at Wrigley Field by opening an equally challenging series at Miller Park with a decisive win.
They overcame a short night for Jerad Eickhoff, whom the Brewers hit hard before he was lifted after just three innings. Eickhoff allowed four runs on five hits, two of which were homers. Kapler pulled Eickhoff, who had thrown 77 pitches, for a pinch-hitter in top of the fourth, showing that he was going to be just as aggressive in Milwaukee as he was earlier this week at Wrigley Field.
Eickhoff's rotation spot could be in jeopardy as he was roughed up for the third straight time. He has allowed 13 runs in his last 12 innings. Eickhoff's last three starts have come against the Brewers and Rockies, two lineups who can be unforgiving against a contact pitcher without his best command. The Phillies did not give Cole Irvin any leeway when he was demoted to triple A this week after being slammed by the Cubs. So it will be interesting to see how they treat Eickhoff.
Eickhoff left with the Phillies trailing by a run. Edgar Garcia handled the fourth as Velasquez warmed in the bullpen. The Phillies wanted to give Velasquez as much time as he needed to prepare for his first night in his new role. He was ready for the fifth and by then the Phillies had clawed back to tie the game. The pressure was on and it was up to Velasquez to deliver.
