There’s something about a rookie who throws 100 mph that thrills a jam-packed crowd. In September, amid a tightening pennant race, it can overstimulate even the public-address announcer.
Over to you, Dan Baker.
“Now pitching for the Phillies … number 71 … Aaalexxx McFaaaaaaarlane!”
To be fair, there was juice in the ballpark as the eighth inning began Sunday. Aaron Nola got not three but five outs in the seventh to hold a one-run lead before Derek Hill and Kyle Schwarber homered, leaving the Phillies six outs from shaving the Braves’ division lead to three games.
Baker kicked in extra oomph only to suit the mood.
If only McFarlane had met the moment.
Instead, making his 12th major-league appearance, the 25-year-old righty gave up back-to-back one-out hits and a game-tying three-run homer to arms-flapping, stutter-stepping Ronald Acuña Jr. that exposed the Phillies’ most-glaring flaw and put a crimp in their chase for a third consecutive NL East crown.
“It was a tough one today,” Nola said after a 5-4 loss shoved the Phillies back to five games out of first place with 19 to play. “No doubt about it.”
Said interim manager Don Mattingly: “It’s one of those where you feel like it’s a tough one.”
OK, for the record, Jhoan Duran gave up the go-ahead run in the ninth on Ozzie Albies’ leadoff double and Austin Riley’s triple. It was only the second earned run allowed by the star closer since Aug. 1.
Before that, though, the worst fear of 42,793 paying customers at sold-out Citizens Bank Park — and the biggest concern for team officials — reared its head again. Because as well as the Phillies have played over the last three months, the bridge to Duran is as creaky as ever.
Jonathan Bowlan has emerged as the primary eighth-inning reliever, but Mattingly noted that “his stuff ticks down a little bit” when he pitches on back-to-back days. Orion Kerkering has faltered. José Alvarado is inconsistent.
The choice, then, with a 4-1 lead was McFarlane, who was still in double-A at the All-Star break but has the kind of big arm that leaves organizations dreaming that he could be an X factor in October.
McFarlane gave up a single on a first-pitch fastball to Mike Yastrzemski and a double to Drake Baldwin on a slider. He threw seven fastballs in a row — all 100 mph or more — to Acuña, the Braves’ best player and Public Enemy No. 1 these days in Philly baseball for his showboating home-run trot.
“That was the plan there,” McFarlane said. “Just trust [catcher Garrett Stubbs]’ calls and trust myself to make those pitches.”
Said Mattingly: “You feel like he beat him with most of those, and like the sixth pitch was the first one I felt like [Acuña] was on time. Maybe [go to] something different. But I’m just backseat quarterbacking.”
With a 1-2 count, McFarlane intended to put the seventh fastball above the strike zone. It wasn’t elevated enough, and Acuña drove it into the bleachers in left-center field.
Cue the boos. Watch the air leave the balloon.
Here, then, is the state of play in the NL East: By taking two of three in this four-game holiday weekend series, the Braves are assured of leaving town with no less than a four-game lead that would functionally be five games by virtue of winning the season series.
It appears the Phillies’ best path to the playoffs is the wild card, where they maintained a 4½-game cushion. They’re also still a half-game behind the Cubs for the top wild card, which brings a home series in the best-of-three initial round.
Oh, but think of what might have been if not for that eighth-inning collapse.
“I figured it was a good spot for Alex,” Mattingly said. “He’s been pitching well. You want to give him that shot. I think it was the right [move] for today. … Alex was rested. We felt like it was a good spot.”
Next time, who knows?
That’s the problem.
Nola dazzled again, setting down the first 10 batters before allowing a one-out double to Acuña in the fourth. It wasn’t until the sixth that he gave up a run on a one-out walk, a single, and a sacrifice fly.
With Nola’s pitch count under control, Mattingly sent him back out for the seventh inning against the middle of the Braves’ order. And with one out, Mauricio Dubón doubled on a ball that Bryce Harper lost in the sun in right field.
Still, Mattingly stuck with Nola.
The sun blinded Alec Bohm on a foul pop down the first-base line with two outs. Nola regrouped to strike out Sean Murphy and hold a 2-1 lead. As Nola walked off the mound and reached out with his right hand to have it checked, the umpire almost had to get in line behind teammates who wanted to shake it.
But the Phillies were still three outs from Duran. And given the state of the bullpen, there aren’t three more difficult outs for them to get.
Now, they’ll find out how McFarlane handles adversity.
“I think we see how he responds, and I think I feel good about the way he’s going to respond,” Mattingly said. “It’s going to happen to everybody if you play long enough, so we’ll see. I think he’ll be fine. He’s been a kid that’s handled everything.”
Except blowing a three-run lead in the eighth inning.
“Just come to the field the next day, flush it, and just believe in yourself,” McFarlane said. “Understand that you don’t let that moment define you and just accept failure for what it is and continue to keep pushing.”
Leave a Reply