Taking stock of Phillies at midpoint of season | Extra Innings

A week ago, when the Phillies came home after getting swept in Washington, Jean Segura was painted as the symbol of everything that was wrong with the team. He didn’t always hustle, and if that wasn’t bad enough, he seemingly got away with it when manager Gabe Kapler refused to bench him.

How’s this, then, for a redemption story?

When the Phillies headed back out on the road last night, they had won four consecutive games, including a 6-3 victory yesterday in which Segura, of all people, delivered a game-winning, three-run home run in the ninth inning against New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz.

“The way he’s handled some criticism has been incredibly professional,” Kapler said. “He’s really hustled and played with an incredible amount of enthusiasm. He’s played some really solid shortstop, and he’s gotten some huge hits for us. Really, the name of the game here is to support our players so they play well for the Philadelphia Phillies, and I think he’s doing just that right now.”

You’re signed up to get this newsletter in your inbox every weekday during the Phillies season. If you like what you’re reading, tell your friends it’s free to sign up here. I want to know what you think, what we should add, and what you want to read, so send me feedback by email or on Twitter @ScottLauber. Thank you for reading.

— Scott Lauber (extrainnings@inquirer.com)

Special offer: What’s happening? Why? Become an Inquirer and get more of your questions answered. Take the first step with Digital Access for just 77¢ per week for 13 weeks. Because you give a damn. Subscribe here.

Unofficially, most people consider the midpoint of a season to be the All-Star break because it offers four days without games to analyze a team’s successes and shortcomings.

Mathematically, though, the midpoint of the Phillies’ season is right now.

The Phillies played in their 81st game Thursday, which means they have 81 left to play. They are 43-38, 4 1/2 games behind the division-leading Atlanta Braves in the National League East and one game up on the Colorado Rockies for a wild-card berth. They have scored 391 runs and allowed 387. They have hit 103 home runs and given up 138.

“Not so great,” Aaron Nola said of the Phillies’ first half. “Kind of up and down. Lately, it’s been better. It’s been a little harder for me. As a team, we hit a rough spot, but I think we’re jumping back up. It’s not easy to stay at the top, so it’s always going to be a grind."

The Phillies’ best players haven’t always been their best players. Nola, for instance, has a 4.22 ERA in 17 starts, far from his 2018 dominance that made him a Cy Young Award finalist. Bryce Harper has 14 home runs, 55 RBIs and an .828 on-base plus slugging percentage, but also is tied with the Chicago Cubs’ Javier Baez for the league lead with 98 strikeouts.

Hector Neris is probably the Phillies’ most deserving All-Star. J.T. Realmuto might make the team, too. But the Phillies won’t have a player in the NL’s starting lineup, and it’s difficult for even manager Gabe Kapler to argue that they should.

But the Phillies also believe they will play better in the second half. The bullpen, ravaged by injuries, is inching closer to being whole again, with Tommy Hunter on the verge of rejoining the team and David Robertson to follow soon after. The offense is finally finding its way after losing leadoff man Andrew McCutchen to a season-ending knee injury.

And if general manager Matt Klentak can find help for the rotation, the Phillies can improve upon a 4.53 starters’ ERA that ranks 10th in the league.

“The one thing we’ve missed a little bit is consistency,” Kapler said. “I think we’re a talented club from top to bottom. I think we have arms. We have strong arms. We’ve got a lineup that’s deep. We just need to put it together more consistently."

In the latest twist in a topsy-turvy season, it turns out that Maikel Franco, the maddeningly streaky third baseman whom the Phillies always seem to be trying to replace, is the player who makes the offense click.

The Phillies doused Jean Segura not once, not twice, but three times after his big home run, which should serve to throw cold water on his time in the fans’ doghouse, as Bob Brookover writes.

It shouldn’t be lost in the comeback that Aaron Nola notched his second consecutive stellar start, which might be the best sign of all for the Phillies.

Bryson Stott signed with the Phillies, got a tour of the clubhouse, and will report today to Clearwater, Fla., to begin his pro career. The 21-year-old shortstop from UNLV could move quickly through the farm system.

Speaking of first-rounders, check out this photo from double-A Reading, where four Phillies first-round picks were on the field together. Alec Bohm, second from the right, made his home debut and went 2-for-3 with a walk and a two-run homer.

Tonight: Vince Velasquez gets latest shot as No. 5 starter at Marlins, 7:10 p.m.

Tomorrow: Zach Eflin vs. Marlins right-hander Jordan Yamamoto, 4:10 p.m.

Sunday: Jake Arrieta vs. Marlins right-hander Trevor Richards, 1:10 p.m.

Monday: Off-day on the road for Phillies

Tuesday: Phillies open a three-game series in Atlanta, 7:20 p.m.

It has been a bizarre season for Aaron Nola, who had the second-worst ERA among qualified National League pitchers until two starts ago. But the Phillies ace has given up one earned run in his last 15 innings to slash his ERA from 4.89 to 4.22.

“One of the things that I’ve started to notice is the walk-to-strikeout ratio is starting to look more like his,” Kapler said. “When he gets closer to that 3-to-1 ratio, he’s dangerous. Right now, he’s inching in that direction.”

Indeed, Nola has walked 38 batters and struck out 110. But perhaps the strangest stats are his home-road splits. In 11 starts at Citizens Bank Park, Nola owns a 2.85 ERA and has given up five homers in 66 1/3 innings. In six road starts, his ERA is 7.28 and he has allowed nine homers in 29 2/3 innings.

Nola explained that he’s super comfortable on the mound at home. His next start is slated for Wednesday night in Atlanta, where he gave up five runs in 4 1/3 innings on June 15.

Send questions by email or on Twitter @ScottLauber.

Answer: Great question, Joe. Thanks for sending it along. Before Haseley injured his groin a few weeks ago, the Phillies had visions of him and Roman Quinn sharing at-bats in center field and Kingery playing third base. But Franco’s resurgence has changed all that.

Franco needs to stay in the lineup for as long as he remains productive, which puts Kingery in center field, Quinn on the bench, and Haseley probably back in the minors. That’s not a bad thing, either. Let’s not forget that the Phillies rushed Haseley to the big leagues after Andrew McCutchen was lost for the season. If Franco keeps hitting, they can stick to their initial timeline of bringing Haseley up later in the year, possibly not until September.