Phillies’ lack of starting pitching and left-handed bullpen depth exposed in 11-5 loss to the Reds

The Phillies used Alan Rangel as an opener, but lefty relievers Tanner Banks and José Alvarado allowed four runs apiece, raising their ERAs to 7.14 and 7.03, respectively.

Tanner Banks raised his ERA to 7.14 after allowing three home runs and four runs overall in the fourth inning on Wednesday.Read moreCarolyn Kaster / AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

by Lochlahn March

Published July 8, 2026, 10:48 p.m. ET

CINCINNATI — Each time a Reds player clubs a home run at Great American Ball Park, fireworks are released from the smokestacks in the outfield.

By the end of the fourth inning of Wednesday’s 11-5 Phillies loss, it was fair to wonder if Cincinnati’s supply might be running low. Because the Reds blasted four homers in the inning, including three consecutive off lefty Tanner Banks, leading to a lot of pyrotechnics.

Elly De La Cruz, Sal Stewart, and JJ Bleday went back-to-back-to-back off poorly located pitches from Banks, who took over for Alan Rangel with one out in the inning. Rangel, who was recalled earlier on Wednesday to start the Phillies’ bullpen game, had already given up a leadoff homer from Noelvi Marte to start the fourth.

“At the end of the day,” Banks said, “I just need to be better at making those pitches.”

The blowout exposed two glaring weaknesses on the Phillies roster: a lack of depth in starting pitching and left-handed relief pitchers. It marked the club’s ninth consecutive loss in games started by the fifth spot of the rotation, a streak that includes Andrew Painter’s last five appearances before he was optioned in June.

While the front end of their rotation has multiple aces, the Phillies do not have a true No. 5 starter. And the lack of depth means the team would be in a truly precarious position in the event of an injury.

But what really doomed the Phillies on Wednesday was the Reds running up the score on two of their three left-handed relievers. After Banks’ collapse in the fourth, José Alvarado also gave up four runs in the sixth inning. Banks and Alvarado left the ballpark dragging ERAs of 7.14 and 7.03, respectively.

“Tonight, it didn’t look very good. We’ve really probably been searching for that more than anything through the course of this season,” said interim manager Don Mattingly.

After Kyle Backhus was optioned on Tuesday following his own struggles, Tim Mayza is the only other left-handed option in the Phillies’ pen. Mayza pitched a scoreless eighth after sidestepping a double.

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Mayza, who was a nonroster invitee to spring training, lowered his season ERA to 2.81. But the Phillies need more than just one reliable lefty reliever.

The expectations were high for Banks and Alvarado entering the season. In 2025, Banks had pitched his way into higher-leverage opportunities with a 3.07 ERA. But this season, he is experiencing more frustration than at any point of his career.

“I think if I were to try to put my finger on one thing, I would say maybe a bit of … being a one-trick pony,” Banks said. “Like throwing a lot of the same stuff in the same place, and it’s hard to get someone out when you’re doing the same thing over and over again.”

Banks said he feels like this year, he has given hitters the same look too many times in the same at-bat, which allows them to adjust and square him up.

“He’s just missing, not getting the ball where he’s trying to get it to,” Mattingly said.

The manager views Alvarado’s struggles somewhat differently. The lefty struggled to find the zone Wednesday, issuing consecutive walks to start the sixth inning. A single, another walk, and a bases-clearing double sank the Phillies into a seven-run hole before Alvarado could end the rally with a strikeout.

But Mattingly pointed to Alvarado’s batting average on balls in play of .449 — a career high — as an explanation for his overall numbers this season.

“Alvy’s been, I’d say, more inconsistent than bad,” Mattingly said. “His stuff is still good. We were looking at it today, actually. The batted ball stuff is actually not bad. So it looks like he’s probably been better than his numbers show, but still, obviously, he’s been inconsistent with giving up runs.”

Alvarado said he feels healthy, which is what gives him confidence he can bounce back.

“Things are not going my way right now,” he said through team interpreter Diego D’Aniello. “In that regard, it’s just about controlling what you can control, getting back to work, working harder, improving, and let’s just hope things turn around for me.”

The Phillies’ offense had its chances against Reds starter Chase Burns. The 23-year-old, who is poised to make his first All-Star appearance next week, issued a career-high six walks. But those walks — plus three hits — only translated to three runs, slightly raising Burns’ season ERA to 2.54.

In total, the Phillies left 10 men on base. J.T. Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber each hit solo home runs off Cincinnati relievers, but the two big innings against Banks and Alvarado put the game out of reach.

“I’ll never give up,” Alvarado said. “It’s just going out there, giving the best of myself every time I’m on the mound. I’ve been through this before. I’ve gotten out of this before.”

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Tony Gwynn Jr. is a former major league outfielder and son of late Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn. Over the last two years, he got to know new Phillies second baseman Luis Arraez, whose contact skills at the plate often draw comparisons to Gwynn. Tony Jr. joined Phillies Extra to discuss his father, Arraez, and the bonds that connect them. Watch here.

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Lochlahn March

I cover the Philadelphia Phillies.

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