Jesús Luzardo will start Game 1 for Phillies; Andrew Painter could follow out of bullpen
The Phillies don’t know how long Luzardo will be able to go in Game 1 so the bullpen will likely carry a lot of the load. Cristopher Sánchez is lined up to start Game 2.
ATLANTA — While Jesús Luzardo was warming up in the bullpen on Sunday in Tampa, Fla., to face hitters for the first time in 20 days, J.T. Realmuto was taking swings in the indoor batting cage.
The catcher was preparing for his next at-bat against the Rays in the Phillies’ eventual 7-3 win, which clinched a berth to the National League wild-card series against the Braves. While he was at the batting cage, Realmuto took a peek at the screen displaying the bullpen feed.
What he saw wasn’t good. Luzardo wasn’t throwing any strikes.
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“We were actually talking in the cage as hitters, like, ‘What? How are we going to get through this next inning? Zeus hasn’t thrown a strike yet,’” Realmuto said.
But as soon as the first hitter stepped into the box against him on Sunday, Luzardo quelled those worries. He needed just four fastballs to get three groundouts in the eighth inning. And with that first appearance back from injury under his belt, now Luzardo will start Game 1 for the Phillies against the Braves on Tuesday.
Interim manager Don Mattingly isn’t sure what to expect from the left-hander. Before the four-pitch outing on Sunday, Luzardo spent 15 days on the injured list with shoulder inflammation. He came out of his appearance feeling good, but the Phillies still don’t know how long Luzardo will be able to go in Game 1. The bullpen will likely carry a lot of the load.
“Just a lot of talking through it, and give us the best chance to try to get the game off on a good foot,” Mattingly said. “The bullpen games haven’t gone great for us this year, but that’s where we’re at.”
The Phillies find themselves in this situation because of their late-September slide, which forced them to use Zack Wheeler to clinch in Game 162, rather than save him for the postseason.
In the celebratory clubhouse after Sunday’s game, Luzardo said he was willing to do anything the team asked to help it win. The Phillies hope he can get through at least the top of the Braves’ order, which usually includes some combination of righty Ronald Acuña Jr., lefties Drake Baldwin, Matt Olson, and Michael Harris II, and switch-hitter Ozzie Albies.
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Luzardo had success against all of them — and the rest of the Braves’ lineup — in his last start, a two-hit, 1-0 shutout on Sept. 7.
“He’s a competitor, and he’s pitched a full season,” Realmuto said. “... I had a lot of confidence in him coming in [Sunday]. Have confidence in him going into the postseason.”
Rookie right-hander Andrew Painter will be in the bullpen to start Tuesday’s game, and could follow Luzardo to cover some of the outs.
Two months ago, Painter was still tinkering in triple A after his demotion. After returning and posting a 3.65 ERA in the second half, he now figures to play a key role in a crucial postseason game.
Realmuto thinks he’s ready for the challenge.
“Just his overall growth has been really impressive to see out of a kid his age [23] that struggled early on, and especially in this market, with this team, with these expectations, that’s not easy to handle,” Realmuto said. “I thought the way he handled it was very impressive, given his age.”
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Cristopher Sánchez is lined up to start Game 2 of the series on regular rest. Aaron Nola is preparing to start Game 3, but if the Phillies get to that point, all options will be on the table. Mattingly said even Wheeler, who threw 97 pitches in Sunday’s win, could be available in a win-or-go-home situation.
“I think this club over there, they present a challenge for anybody trying to get 27 outs,” Mattingly said. “That’s a really good offensive club and versatile, left, right, and all that, so it’s always tough. I think you just get to where you’re at. This is how we got here. We’re walking into it like this. We’re going to show up and play, and we’ll see where it goes.”
Let's talk about the Phillies' bullpen. Larry Andersen happens to be an expert on the subject. The popular Phillies radio analyst had a 17-year major-league career in which he appeared in 699 games – all but one in relief. He joins Phillies Extra to break down the biggest question standing between the Phillies and a long run through October: How will they bridge the gap to closer Jhoan Duran? Watch here.
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