Phillies’ blowout loss could be worse if Jean Segura is hurt | Extra Innings

You didn’t need to look at the scoreboard Monday night to realize that the Phillies’ series opener against the Dodgers was out of hand. A peek at the pitcher’s mound told you everything you needed to know. Outfielder Roman Quinn pitched the final four outs to close a 16-2 blowout loss. It was that kind of night.

The Phillies have lost 19 of their last 30 games. Gabe Kapler said afterward that they have to turn the page. But it seems as if the Phillies have been turning the page for the last five weeks. The book must be wearing thin.

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— Matt Breen (extrainnings@inquirer.com)

The Phillies were an out away Monday from finally ending a miserable night when a blowout loss to the Dodgers found a way to become possibly worse. Jean Segura, after hitting a ground ball and running to first base for the second out of the ninth inning, limped slowly back to the dugout.

He was treated after the game by the team’s training staff and said his left heel was bruised. The shortstop said he was not too concerned about the injury, but he still walked gingerly to the team’s clubhouse. The Phillies hope his diagnosis is right.

Segura went 0-for-5 on Monday night but entered with a .814 OPS in his last 73 plate appearances. During the team’s recent slide, he has been one of the few productive hitters.

If Segura is sidelined, the Phillies could move Scott Kingery in from center field and play rookie Adam Haseley every day in center. But Kapler said they are also monitoring Maikel Franco, who appeared to tweak his groin while playing third base. If the Phillies lose both Segura and Franco, then Brad Miller or Sean Rodriguez will have to play every day in the infield along with Kingery.

The fourth inning Monday night was the type of inning that, Scott Lauber writes, ranked “somewhere between a full-scale meltdown and a raging dumpster fire.” It wasn’t pretty.

The Phillies are all-in this season, except they aren’t, Bob Ford writes. “I’m not entirely sure where that organization has gone, but after a half season of tepid baseball, the reckless bravado of spring has been replaced by the worried caution of summer.”

If the Phillies are to make a run this season, their pitching will have to improve. But that could be a challenge with a bullpen that’s banged up and a rotation that’s shaky. “Our bullpen is just a suboptimal condition right now,” Kapler said before Monday’s game.

Tonight: Vince Velasquez faces right-hander Walker Buehler, 7:05 p.m.

Tomorrow: Nick Pivetta starts against right-hander Kenta Maeda, 7:05 p.m.

Thursday: Aaron Nola makes his YouTube debut against right-hander Ross Stripling, 12:35 p.m.

Friday: Phillies open three-game series in Pittsburgh, 7:05 p.m.

If the season ended before Monday’s game — spoiler: it did not — the Phillies would have played a wild-card playoff game against the Nationals. The winner of that game would have advanced to a five-game series against the Dodgers. And how would the Phillies fare?

If the first four games vs. LA are a measure, not good. The Phillies have been outscored by the Dodgers, 34-8, this season in all four losses. If the Phillies lose the next three games this week against the Dodgers, it would be the second time since 2000 that the Phillies lost seven or more times to a team outside of the National League East. The Phillies lost all seven games to the Brewers in 2015 en route to 99 losses.

“They’re a good team. They go out there and grind every at-bat. They pitch well. They have a good bullpen, as well,” Bryce Harper said of the Dodgers.

“Of course, we went out 0-3 out there in LA and we got beat tonight pretty badly. We can’t play like that. We have to go out there and grind and get those runs in, especially against a good Dodgers team. We have to do the job.”

Send questions by email or on Twitter @matt_breen.

Question: I have been a strong supporter of Gabe Kapler for the past two seasons, but some of his recent managerial moves have puzzled me. Perhaps you can explain them for me.

Why start Nick Pivetta, at best the number-four starter, in the first game after the All Star break, when all five starters had sufficient rest? Wouldn’t it have made more sense to start any of the top three starters? Pivetta pitched his normal mediocre game and, of course, the Phillies got beat.

The second curious move to me was resting Cesar Hernandez in the 3rd game after the break. Why start Roman Quinn when he is clearly over-matched against any major league pitcher right now? They need offense and Hernandez is a far better hitter than Quinn right now.

— John B. via email

Answer: Thanks, John. Kapler said last week that Pivetta started the first game after the break because he had a longer layoff than both Aaron Nola and Jake Arrieta, who would start on Saturday and Sunday. They wanted to start Eflin on Monday night just in case Arrieta was unable to pitch Sunday because of his bone spur. Starting Pivetta on Friday gave everyone else extra rest after the break.

For the second question, Kapler started Kingery at second base for Hernandez while playing Adam Haseley in center field. It was a chance to get Haseley, Kingery, and Jay Bruce in the lineup together. Kapler said Monday that Haseley will play frequently now that he’s back from triple A. If his playing time does increase, Hernandez or Maikel Franco likely will see a decrease in starts.