PHILADELPHIA — In most seasons, there would be serious concern if two relievers who combined to pitch seven scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts and no walks in the World Series both found themselves in Triple A less than 10 days into the following June. That’s what the Phillies did Friday when they optioned Connor Brogdon, a capable middle reliever, to the minors. He joined Andrew Bellatti, another solid righty, in the IronPigs bullpen.
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The Phillies have had one of the best bullpens in baseball ever since a disastrous first two weeks this year. They did it for the last month without José Alvarado, who was almost unhittable through April.
“I think,” manager Rob Thomson said, “it just speaks to our depth.”
It’s hard to grasp. The Phillies have a functional bullpen. It has numerous trusted options for the late innings — both lefty and righty — and strike-throwing middle relievers. Maybe, in a few months, Yunior Marté, Jeff Hoffman and Andrew Vasquez aren’t as prominent. But, right now, the Phillies have chosen them as complementary pieces and it makes complete sense.
Then, there are nights like Friday that reinforce how different things really are in the bullpen. Matt Strahm, pitching for the first time in five days, entered in the seventh inning and surrendered a three-run lead to the Dodgers in the span of two batters. It could have spiraled. It probably would have spiraled in previous seasons. But Alvarado pitched around a leadoff double in the eighth in his return from an elbow injury and Gregory Soto pitched a clean ninth to preserve the tie for Kyle Schwarber’s game-winning homer in a 5-4 victory.
“The bullpen has been a really good, positive thing for us,” Schwarber said after the Phillies’ sixth straight win. “They’ve been going really well. You get Alvy back tonight. He goes out and has a really good inning. If we can keep this going, it’s a really good thing.”
There are teams scrambling for pitching — the Phillies are not exempt from this because they could use another starter — but their bullpen situation is enviable. They have Brogdon and Bellatti in reserve at Lehigh Valley. Luis Ortiz pitched well in a big-league cameo and is good depth. Nick Nelson was activated from the minor-league injured list Friday and could be called upon if the Phillies need a multi-inning reliever.
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“We’ve got a lot of depth,” Thomson said. “We can afford to have some resets if we need it.”
That’s how they view Brogdon’s situation. He had allowed runs in three of his previous four outings. Lefties have crushed him this season to a .333/.404/.667 line. They have hit four homers against him in 52 plate appearances; he entered this season having surrendered five homers to lefties in 223 plate appearances.
“By sending him out, we’re going to get him reintroduced to some bulk — two innings, maybe two-plus,” Thomson said. “Get him on a structured schedule to give him the right amount of rest. So he can really practice his trade. He hasn’t gotten left-handers out the way normally does this year. That’s the objective. I’m sure he’ll be back soon.”
Relievers are fickle. Marté was on the shuttle back and forth from Philadelphia to Lehigh Valley and now he’s trusted enough to pitch the 10th inning of a tie game against the Dodgers. (It never reached that point Friday because Schwarber ended it in the ninth, but that was the plan.) A year ago, the Phillies had no idea what to make of Alvarado.
Now, they are grateful to see him healthy.
“It’s great to have someone like Alvy back in the bullpen,” Ranger Suárez said. “He is one of those guys that brings confidence to the whole team when he’s going to be throwing his stuff out of the bullpen.”
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'He's a different animal': José Alvarado changed his mindset and came back even better
Who has the ninth?
In Alvarado’s absence, Craig Kimbrel ascended to become the closer. Thomson did not use a set closer all of last season and Kimbrel might be the closest thing he has to a traditional closer. But Thomson did not commit to Kimbrel maintaining that role with Alvarado back.
If there’s a more favorable matchup for Kimbrel in the eighth, that’s where Thomson said he will use him. All things being equal, is it Thomson’s preference for Kimbrel to close?
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“Not necessarily,” Thomson said.
Kimbrel’s numbers in save situations — a 2.25 ERA in 12 innings — are far sharper than in other appearances. He has an 8.18 ERA in 11 innings in non-save spots. That mirrors Kimbrel’s career trends. He’s always been someone who prefers the ninth inning.
Alvarado is happy wherever. He shook off some rust Friday and managed to escape without allowing a run. He did walk his first batter of the season, ending an incredible stretch. His 18 regular-season games without a walk marked the longest such streak by a Phillies reliever since Jonathan Papelbon in 2014. It was the longest streak by a Phillies lefty reliever since Billy Wagner in 2004.
“When I hit the target,” Alvarado said, “it’s my best friend.”
It also helps to throw 95 mph cutters.
More time for Bohm
The Phillies were hopeful that Alec Bohm would be ready to return Saturday from the left hamstring soreness that has sidelined him for 10 days. But, after a strenuous workout Thursday, he still felt some soreness Friday. Bohm expressed no concern about the situation and said he expects to be activated Monday when the Phillies begin a road trip in Arizona.
It’s possible Bohm sees more time at third base upon his return because Kody Clemens has played well with increased at-bats as the first baseman in Bohm’s absence. Edmundo Sosa has continued to struggle and has lost playing time to Josh Harrison and Drew Ellis.
Bryce Harper played catch again Friday afternoon but the Phillies continue to push a conservative timeline for his move to first base.
“Well, that’s a long ways away,” Thomson said. “It’s going to be after the All-Star break, for sure. Probably closer to August by the time Bryce can play first base.”
In the meantime, it’s Clemens’ gain if he can continue to hit. He’s batting .269/.320/.441 in 100 plate appearances. The trade with Detroit that netted the Phillies Soto and Clemens looks like a win.
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Remember that inning
In Suárez’s mind, the fifth inning is a crucial moment for a starting pitcher. “You really have to go out there and show that you still have it,” Suárez said through a team interpreter. It’s typically a time when the starter will face the opposing lineup for the third time.
Suárez struck out Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith with 14 pitches in Friday’s fifth inning. He hit 95.9 mph with his last pitch to Freeman. It was the hardest fastball Suárez had thrown in almost two years.
“That was as good of an inning as I’ve seen him have probably in his career,” Thomson said.
Suárez’s stuff has improved with each outing and he’s had three good starts in a row. He is a huge part of what the Phillies are attempting to do. He allowed one run in six innings Friday to lower his ERA to 4.70.
Everything is sharper, especially the changeup. He threw 21 of them against the Dodgers and generated seven swings-and-misses with that pitch.
“I have to give a lot of credit to the athletic trainers and the strength coaches because they’ve done a tremendous job with me,” Suárez said. “They’re always on top of me. And, you know, every little thing counts. And it’s making a difference.”
(Top photo of José Alvarado: Bill Streicher / USA Today)