Matt Moore roughed up again as Phillies fall to Cardinals, 9-4

The Phillies signed Matt Moore last winter for $3 million, believing the left-hander could solidify the back of their rotation after spending a season in Japan.

But that investment continued to look shaky Saturday in a 9-4 loss to the Cardinals as Moore recorded just eight outs. He allowed five earned runs, all of which scored with two outs in the third inning, and was removed in the middle of an at-bat after nearly plunking the opposing pitcher. An unearned run scored after he was lifted.

Moore has a 9.82 ERA through three starts, has allowed four homers in 11 innings, and has twice lasted less than four innings. Yet his rotation spot is likely safe as the Phillies are thin on replacements.

They are managing prospect Spencer Howard’s workload by treating him like a reliever and Vince Velasquez needed 63 pitches Saturday to retire seven batters. Ramon Rosso, Adonis Medina, and Ranger Suarez are options at the alternate site in Allentown, but the difference might be marginal.

For now, the Phillies will likely roll with the struggling Moore and hope the 31-year-old can find himself.

“I still think it’s too early to judge,” manager Joe Girardi said after another struggling start for Moore. “As hitters, pitchers can get off to slow starts, too. I think today’s issue was he was up in the zone and behind in the count a lot. Left some change-ups up in the zone and that’s a big pitch for him. We need him to locate better.”

The Phillies spent a combined $7 million in one week on Moore and right-hander Chase Anderson, deciding to spread their cash in January to grab two mid-level starters instead of one premium pitcher. The early returns have been underwhelming. Anderson, who starts Monday against the Giants, has not pitched past the fifth inning in his first two starts.

Moore walked the first two batters he faced Saturday on nine pitches, but retired the next eight. And then trouble arrived. Paul Goldschmidt singled and Nolan Arenado walked before Yadier Molina and Paul DeJong hit back-to-back homers with two outs. The Cardinals tagged Moore for another run, built a four-run lead, and Moore was finished.

“I just had a hard time putting the brakes on the inning,” Moore said. “After getting Goldschmidt and Arenado on, Molina has to be my out. Whatever way he gets out. I made a pretty poor pitch right there for the home run. Whatever damage is done is done, right? Let’s not compound a mistake with another mistake. I threw a very hittable ball to the next hitter and he put a good swing on it. From there, I just didn’t feel like I did a good job of reassessing the situation and getting back to one pitch at a time.”

The Phillies played Saturday without Bryce Harper, who is day to day after waking up with discomfort in his lower back. Girardi said Jean Segura left the game with an upset stomach, which the team believes is due to something he ate.

They scored nine runs on Friday as their offense showed spark after a rough road trip, but they couldn’t get much going a day later.

» READ MORE: Phillies say Bryce Harper is ‘day to day’ with back injury

They left the bases loaded in both the first and ninth innings, went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position, and left 11 runners on base.

Alec Bohm drove in a run with two outs in the first and brought in another with a sacrifice fly in the third. The Phillies would need more to keep up with their pitching.

JoJo Romero relieved Moore and allowed two homers, digging the Phillies a seven-run hole. Romero and Moore combined to allow nine runs over the span of 10 batters.

Romero’s velocity has been down this week after returning from the minors. The left-hander’s fastball sat Saturday at 94.3 mph, a tick slower than his average last season and not as powerful as it was in spring training when Romero regularly touched 97 mph.

“We will discuss that,” Girardi said. “I’m asking the same question that you are because I wouldn’t expect it to go down much. We’ll try to figure out what’s going on there. Maybe he’s going through a little bit of a dead-arm period. I don’t know. It’s something that’s caught my eye.”

The Cardinals jumped on Moore’s fastball -- which topped out at 92.6 mph -- and timed his change-up. The Cardinals put nine balls in play against Moore with an average exit velocity of 95.3 mph.

It was worth wondering if Moore’s struggles were compounded by an injury as Girardi and athletic trainer Paul Buchheit visited him in the third inning. They had noticed Moore wince when swinging and missing during his at-bat in the third. But the pitcher remained in the game.

“We talked to him before he went out and he said he felt fine,” Girardi said. “I just wanted to make sure and when we went out, he said he felt fine. So, nothing really.”

Once considered baseball’s top prospect, Moore went to Japan last season after his major-league options dried up. His promising career was derailed by injuries and Japan -- where he lived for a few years as a child -- could provide a fresh start.

» READ MORE: Phillies farmhands Jeff Singer and Zach Warren eagerly await the return of minor-league baseball | Bob Brookover

Moore made 15 starts, the last of which he was removed from after carrying a no-hitter through seven innings of the championship series. He was excellent for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks, but his re-acclimation to the majors has not started the way the Phillies hoped.

The Phillies are buoyant about the top of their starting rotation as Girardi labeled Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, and Zach Eflin this spring as “1A, 1B, and 1C.” They don’t need Moore and Anderson to be “1D” and “1E,” but it’s hard to chart a path to the postseason if their fourth and fifth starters can’t keep the offense in games.

The Phillies scored four runs Saturday in the first five innings, but the Cardinals had already scored nine. It was too late.