PHILADELPHIA — With two mighty swings Monday night, the Phillies chopped an early deficit to one run. Now, what they needed more than almost anything, was a shutdown inning from ace Zack Wheeler.
Instead, Wheeler allowed a leadoff home run.
Was there a better snapshot of the Phillies’ first 47 games? They take a step forward, then immediately shuffle backward. A fistful of momentum slips through their fingers. No sooner do they start to roll, they go back to sputtering again.
So, after Kyle Schwarber and Bryson Stott went deep in the fourth inning, Wheeler gave up a homer to Pavin Smith in the fifth for what turned out to be the decisive blow in a series-opening 6-3 loss to the upstart Diamondbacks before 34,040 paying customers at Citizens Bank Park.
If you’re dizzy from the roller coaster, here’s a recap: Since April 26, the Phillies have won four in a row, lost six in a row, won five in a row, lost five in a row, and won two in a row before the latest loss dropped them to 22-25, ninth in the National League.
The Phillies looked to Wheeler to nudge them closer to the .500 mark. But he gave up three runs in a laborious second inning to put them in an early hole.
Save for Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s leadoff homer, Wheeler didn’t allow a ton of hard contact in the inning. He also wasn’t aided when Stott booted Gabriel Moreno’s bases-loading grounder to second base.
Wheeler even threw what appeared to be a decent curveball that Geraldo Perdomo hooked into right field for a two-run double that opened a 3-0 Arizona lead.
But the Phillies have come to expect better from Wheeler, especially after lefty-hitting Schwarber and Stott brought the crowd to life with homers to right field against Diamondbacks lefty starter Tommy Henry.
If Wheeler had tossed a clean inning, the Phillies offense would’ve been able to go right back to work. But he elevated a fastball to Smith, who banged it off the facade of the second deck for a 4-2 lead.
Overall, Wheeler has pitched better than his numbers. Entering the game, his fielding independent pitching (FIP), a measure of the outcomes that a pitcher can control (homers, walks, hit by pitches, strikeouts) was 2.41 compared to his 4.06 ERA.
But there was nothing lucky about Smith’s homer, which came off the bat at 103.1 mph and snatched the Phillies’ momentum even faster.
Singular success
Trea Turner punched an RBI single to right field in the seventh inning to draw the Phillies within one run again at 4-3. It marked the first hit with a runner in scoring position for the struggling shortstop since April 19.
Perhaps it was a sign that Turner is turning the corner at the plate. Manager Rob Thomson was encouraged by his at-bats Sunday in a victory over the Cubs.
Turner also stole two bases, one in the seventh inning and one after drawing a two-out walk in the ninth against Diamondbacks closer Andrew Chafin. Turner, perhaps the fastest runner in the majors, has been introspective about his hesitancy at times to run.
Interestingly, Turner’s seventh-inning steal opened first base for the Diamondbacks to intentionally walk Bryce Harper. With the bases loaded and two out, J.T. Realmuto flew to center field.
Perfect peg
It took a perfect throw from center fielder Dalton Guthrie to keep the Diamondbacks’ second-inning lead from growing even larger.
And Guthrie delivered a perfect throw.
Making his second consecutive start in place of Brandon Marsh against a lefty starter, Guthrie caught Smith’s medium-depth fly ball and heaved it on a fly to home plate, where Realmuto slapped a tag on Moreno, who attempted to score.
It marked Guthrie’s second career outfield assist. He cut down the Rockies’ Ezequiel Tovar at second base on May 12 in Colorado.
On deck
Right-hander Dylan Covey, claimed off waivers last weekend, will make his Phillies debut as part of a bullpen game Tuesday night. Right-hander Ryne Nelson (1-2, 5.48 ERA) is slated to start for Arizona.
