PHOENIX -- Maybe it’s time for John Middleton to start tweeting.
Hey, it worked for New York Mets owner Steve Cohen, who awoke Wednesday, fired up his Twitter account, and called out his “unproductive” hitters for lacking a “more disciplined approach.” A few hours later, the Mets rallied for four runs in the 12th inning in San Francisco to snap a five-game losing streak.
Perhaps the Phillies could use similar prodding from their owners after the offense fell flat again here Wednesday night in a 4-2 loss to the Diamondbacks. The Phillies have scored 19 runs in their last eight games, a stretch in which they have gone 2-6 and slid from two games ahead in the National League East to 3 1/2 games behind the division-leading Atlanta Braves.
After mustering three hits Tuesday night in a 3-2 loss, they were held to just four by the NL’s worst pitching staff. Two of those came from reinstalled leadoff man Odúbel Herrera, who tripled and scored in the first inning and homered in the eighth.
Otherwise, the Phillies’ bats remained as dry as the desert. Jean Segura, Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, Didi Gregorius, and Andrew McCutchen — the heart of the order — combined to go 2-for-18 with two walks. In the last eight games, they are 24-for-132 (.182).
So much for the Phillies feasting on Arizona pitching.
And now, all that stands between the Phillies and getting swept by the team with the worst record in the league is Zack Wheeler, who will face Diamondbacks lefty Madison Bumgarner in the matinee series finale Thursday.
Once again, the lack of offense meant the pitching had to be nearly perfect. Ranger Suárez was far from it.
Making his fourth start since being moved into the rotation, the erstwhile closer kept the basepaths busy by giving up eight hits and four walks in 4 2/3 innings. He allowed three runs and might have given up more if not for a generous strike call on Josh Rojas with the bases loaded in the fifth inning.
The biggest damage against Suárez was done by Diamondbacks starter Humberto Castellanos. Never mind that the rookie had one hit in five minor-league seasons. He collected two in as many at-bats against Suárez, including an RBI single in the fourth inning to give Arizona a 2-1 lead.
As usual, Suárez relied heavily on his sinker. He wasn’t hit particularly hard (six of the Diamondbacks’ eight hits were singles). But 61 of Suárez’s 86 pitches were some variety of a fastball. As he progresses as a starter, he may need to hone his slider or develop a curveball.
Realmuto banged up?
Realmuto flexed his right hand after a wild pitch in the seventh inning. He remained in the game and didn’t report anything to the Phillies’ coaching staff, according to Girardi. But considering he missed time earlier this season with a bruised right wrist, the situation bears watching.
Girardi said Realmuto is scheduled to catch Thursday’s matinee series finale, but the Phillies would check him out in the morning before putting him in the lineup.
Leading man
Girardi’s decision to move Herrera into the leadoff spot paid off right away. Herrera lined the third pitch of the game to right field for a triple against Castellanos and scored on a passed ball.
Herrera is an imperfect solution atop the order. But he’s also a streaky hitter in the midst of a hot spell. He entered on a 14-for-44 (.318) roll with a .380 on-base percentage this month.
Out at home
Castellanos would have driven in a run in the second inning, too, if not for overaggressive baserunning and an accurate one-hop throw from Harper.
With the Phillies leading 1-0, Arizona’s Josh Rojas ran through third-base coach Tony Perezchica’s stop sign on Castellanos’ two-out single to right field. Harper came up throwing to the plate, where J.T. Realmuto applied the tag.
