Andrew Painter rises to occasion, delivers 6-5 win with Phillies bullpen in a pinch
Painter held the Cardinals without a hit until the sixth. In one of the strongest starts of his young career, he allowed two earned runs over 5 ⅓ innings, striking out six.
ST. LOUIS — There was no backup plan.
With a bullpen that has been run ragged, the Phillies desperately needed a strong start from Andrew Painter. They needed their rookie to cover as many innings as he could and keep them in the game as long as he could. They had Alan Rangel available to help cover the rest, but beyond that, their relievers were almost completely depleted.
Painter rose to the occasion. In the Phillies’ 6-5 win, he held the Cardinals without a hit until the sixth. In one of the strongest starts of his young career, he allowed two earned runs over 5 ⅓ innings, striking out six.
But the plan nearly fell apart in the eighth, with Rangel on the mound. The right-hander relies on a deceptive delivery, but the effectiveness of that wears off the more looks an opponent has on him.
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After he walked back out to the mound for the third time, the Cardinals tagged Rangel for three runs on six hits — including three doubles — to pull within one run. All the while, the Phillies’ relievers remained inactive in the bullpen in left field. There was no one available except Jonathan Bowlan, who was tabbed for the ninth.
But the Phillies offense had done just enough. They jumped out to an early lead in the second inning, courtesy of an error from Cardinals pitcher Hunter Dobbins. Derek Hill sent a tapper back to the right-hander, and he sailed it way beyond first base, allowing Brandon Marsh to score from first and Hill to wind up on third. A single from Edmundo Sosa then drove in Hill.
They tacked on another run in the fifth. Kyle Schwarber finished with two doubles and came a foot away from a homer in the eighth, but it hung up just enough to be playable for right fielder Jordan Walker.
Meanwhile, Painter kept St. Louis off-balance with his changeup, which has been a weapon for him since being recalled from the minors. While in triple A, Painter tweaked its grip, and he has been throwing it with confidence. Three of his six total strikeouts came on the pitch.
Painter, 23, became the youngest Phillies pitcher to carry a no-hit bid through five innings since Cole Hamels did so at age 22 against the Astros in September 2006.
But soon after the Cardinals’ first hit fell in the sixth — Iván Herrera tucked a line drive just inside the left field line for a double — the shutout evaporated, too. Alec Burleson hit a two-run single to chase Painter from the game.
Justin Crawford and Edmundo Sosa hit back-to-back doubles in the eighth that helped give the Phillies some much-needed insurance.
Luis Arraez’s skid stretched on to 0-for-10, the longest hitless streak in his career. He hit into two double plays, including one with the bases loaded that ended the seventh.
Bowlan pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his first major league save.