We’re lookin for positive nuggets as the Phillies schlep their way through April. They’re 7-11 and just kind of shuffling through the month.
The good news is that the bullpen has been better over the last three games. Not a massive sample size, but here’s what the group did in the Chicago doubleheader and Sunday win against the Reds:
Obviously Ortiz was the only bullpen arm in game two on Monday because Bailey Falter went seven strong, but that game one performance from Soto/Kimbrel/Dominguez/Alvarado was very good. Impressive finish to retire 12 straight batters after Zack Wheeler came out of the game.
The Phillies now have a collective 5.74 ERA in relief, according to the SportRadar data. It’s still the fourth-worst number in Major League Baseball, but it’s down from the 6.26 number they were posting going into the weekend. Baby steps here. Gotta start somewhere.