Another good week for the hometown nine
The series in Miami is always a trap. Usually, the Phillies go to South Florida and play down to the competition they see, especially if it’s before a series as big as the one they had later in the week against the Mets. Instead, they went down and took care of business before coming home and winning that series at home as well.
It was a good week.
Three up
Cristopher Sanchez
Zack Wheeler would start game one of any playoff series so long as regular rest were allowed. Starting game two? That becomes more of a question.
For me, it really isn’t. Sanchez is the team’s second best starter.
There will be conversation in the coming months about which starter is going to the bullpen. Should they pull the Painter lever and bring up the prospect to place into the rotation, someone is going to have to move. That will be Mick Abel. Yet if the Phillies are playing in October, there will need to be yet another starter move since five starters are not needed. I would posit that Jesus Luzardo is the best option to make that move, with Ranger Suarez being second behind that.
Yet Sanchez has quietly kept going this year as the second banana to Wheeler. Outside of one injury plagued outing and a small bout of uncharacteristic wildness, he has continued on the gains he made last year and has even improved in areas. He’s one of the best starters in the National League.
Orion Kerkering
Three games, two saves and a potential new role for Kerkering. That qualifies as a good week, right?
Kerkerking has had the Jeff Hoffman role of being the trusted right handed reliever for some time now. He’s done well, but it always felt like the team would like to use him in a save situation more often. That may not be the most effective way of managing a bullpen these days. After all, one would want their best reliever on the mound when the situation is at its most dire. Yet wanting to see Kerkering lock down the games at the end is a defensible position. It would force others to step up in those high leverage roles, but if they can, maybe the end of games would be a little more secure
Alec Bohm
A week in which he went 10 for 28, drove in five and played solid defense, Bohm has been a tonic for this team since his resurgence following a tough April.
Three down
Relievers at the bottom of the roster
The churn has continued with the team starting to cycle through players at the bottom of the roster. Last week, it was Carlos Hernandez departing the organization and Michael Mercado getting the call up. Now, it’s Mercado being sent down in favor of Alan Rangel getting some run with the team. They’re clearly searching for something to help the bullpen prior to their making a move at the deadline.
Max Kepler
Man, just as we start to get a little more excited about Kepler maybe getting some run against pitchers of all kinds, he goes and has a week where he has three hits in 23 at bats. If he has any plans on making it difficult for the team to use him in a platoon, he’d better start hitting the ball with some kind of consistency.
Otto Kemp
Well, I think the scouting report is starting to get out. Another hitter with a tough week, Kemp went three for 21 on the week. If he’s not careful, Buddy Kennedy is going to start taking some of his plate appearances.
Hurry back, Bryce.