PHILADELPHIA _ Let's talk about all the handwringing over the lack of production from the Phillies offense.
It's gone. Goodbye. See you later. Just like the 6{ football field's worth of home runs that were hit en route to building a two-touchdown lead through eight innings of Monday night's rout at Citizens Bank Park.
But the concern about the Phillies' bullpen? That's real. Very real.
If experience tells manager Joe Girardi, who in turn has told anyone who's asked, that the Phillies' hitters will break out if only they can ever get into the everyday rhythm of the sport, then surely he also knows that he can't win with one reliable relief pitcher.
In their first instance of playing on a third consecutive day since July 26 _ free from rainouts and potential exposure to an opponent's COVID-19 outbreak _ the Phillies unloaded for 10 runs in the first two innings and five home runs and somehow had to hold on for a 13-8 victory over the Atlanta Braves after a seven-run ninth inning.
Bryce Harper crushed a three-run homer 445 feet into the visiting bullpen against Braves starter Sean Newcomb in the first inning. Roman Quinn took Newcomb deep in the second. Didi Gregorius launched a grand slam and Jean Segura followed with a solo shot against lefty reliever Robbie Erlin, also in the second inning.
The rout was on, and J.T. Realmuto added to it with a two-run number against Erlin in the fourth inning. It marked the Phillies' first five-homer game since Sept. 10 of last year, also against the Braves.
Never mind that Aaron Nola had gone almost as long without a victory. Girardi began to empty the bench by the seventh inning. The Phillies matched their run total from the previous five games combined.
Not even the worst bullpen in baseball could blow a lead this large, although Nick Pivetta and Trevor Kelley sure gave it a shot, raising the team's collective bullpen ERA to 9.87.
Just in case, Nola was as efficient as he was effective. He struck out 10 batters, his 14th career strikeout game and the most ever by a Phillies pitcher through 130 appearances. He also threw only 89 pitches in eight innings before handing over a 12-run lead.
It marked Nola's first victory since Aug. 20, a span of nine starts and 356 days in which 13 Phillies pitchers _ and 361 pitchers overall _ won at least once.
Before the game, Girardi addressed concerns about an offense that produced only 42 runs through 10 games. Rhys Hoskins entered the game slugging .241 with two extra-base hits and no home runs; Scott Kingery was 3-for-31 (.097); leadoff man Andrew McCutchen has a .206 on-base percentage.
"We're going to go with our guys," Girardi said. "At times I'm going to give them a day off. But these are our guys and they've got to get it going."
McCutchen got a night off in the series finale against the Braves. Hoskins and Kingery went a combined 2-for-7
But the rest of the Phillies got it going all right. Eight of the nine starters notched at least one hit. Quinn had three. Phil Gosselin, McCutchen's stand-in as the leadoff hitter, had two. So did Harper and Realmuto.
Gosselin singled on Newcomb's third pitch of the game. Hoskins singled on his seventh. Harper made it 3-0 on his 12th.
And the Phillies were just getting warmed up.
They sent 10 batters to the plate in the second inning with seven in a row reaching base. They knocked out Newcomb with Quinn's solo homer and a bases-loaded RBI single by Realmuto, then welcomed Erlin with Gregorius' slam on a first-pitch curveball.
The situation was tailor-made for Gregorius, who has ridiculous career numbers _ .700 slugging percentage, four homers _ with the bases loaded.
Homers have been the Phillies' calling card. They have hit a total of 17 in 11 games, and 60% of their runs (33 of 55) have been driven in by homers.
That isn't likely sustainable, even for another seven weeks. As Girardi said Sunday night, the Phillies must find other ways to score runs in order to sustain a productive offense.
After a game in which they went deep five times, that can be an overreaction for another day.
