Pivetta starting to become a concern after latest knockout
PHILADELPHIA » For a moment Friday, not much more, Gabe Kapler had a pleasant problem to solve.
With Jerad Eickhoff in Clearwater to pitch batting practice and that much closer to a return, Kapler might soon have had too many competent starting pitchers and not enough spots.
“There is plenty of reason to hold off on making any determination,” Kapler said. “We’ll have a landscape that is much more clear and so much more information. There is no reason to address it yet.”
That was before the Phillies’ 17-7 loss to the Washington Nationals.
And that was before Nick Pivetta would last 1.2 innings and be among the first to be in peril of surrendering one of those musical chairs.
Pivetta has not had a win, nor has he lasted longer than five innings, since May 21. Friday, he allowed three home runs and seven earned runs, with his ERA inflating to 4.71.
“I left too many balls middle up and they got the better of me tonight.”
Yacksel Rios was not much more effective in relief, allowing three runs in 1.2 innings as the first in a parade of relief pitchers. And Hector Neris was startlingly ineffective, allowing three home runs in the ninth
But it was Pivetta who had
the Phillies in peril from the start.
“Pivetta obviously didn’t come out with his best stuff or his best command tonight,” Gabe Kapler said. “He tried to drop his fastball inside to a left-handed hitter and it leaked back over the plate. This lineup is really, really good. They are going to make you pay for your mistakes.”
*** Kapler was looking for a place to give Dylan Cozens a start. He found one Friday … and, he believed, with good reason: Erick Fedde was starting for Washington.
“He’s had some success against Fedde in the minor leagues, not that that’s the only reason to stick in a guy in a lineup,” Kapler said. “I think he has a couple home runs against him in the minor leagues. And I kind of like the profile of his fastball vs. Coz’s swing.”
The Phillies are looking for more power. Cozens had 67 home runs over his last two minor-league seasons.
“I think Coz is a little more contact away from being a very good major-league regular player,” Kapler said. “So if you look back to his minor-league days and you just add a little more contact, he goes from being a prospect to kind of an elite prospect. And if you add that contact, and you expect some more home runs as a result, you see a real dude, a real big-time major-league player.”
Before a quad injury, Cozens had 10 major-league at-bats with one home run. He was 0-for-2 with a walk Friday.
*** Jake Arrieta, who has lost his last four decisions, may be ready for a resurgence … or at least Kapler suspects.
“Apparently Jake had a really strong bullpen session that we’re all pretty excited about,” Kapler said Friday. “We are looking forward to his next start.”
Did the right-hander make any adjustments after allowing nine hits in five innings of his last start, a 6-0 loss to the Yankees?
“Nothing specific,” Kapler said. “I actually haven’t dug too far in with anybody. He and I just talked about how well it went out there and we’re excited about his next start.”
That start will be Sunday at 1:35 against Nationals lefthander Gio Gonzalez (6-5, 3.68 ERA). Arrieta is 5-6, with a 3.54 ERA. *** If Rhys Hoskins is determined to continue using his dual-flap helmet even after his fractured jaw is fully healed, Kapler won’t stage a protest.
“So would it help him concentrate a little bit more?” the manager said. “I don’t know. I never wore a helmet like that. I don’t have any exposure to it. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me on the surface. But if you believe it, then, as a hitter, it is.”
Hoskins has hit eight home runs since his June 9 release from the disabled list, including a two-run blast to center Friday, his 14th of the season and third in as many games.
“I feel good, obviously,” he said. “I think the biggest thing is that I try to simplify things. I had a good start to the year and then I just started to think and I think as a hitter you go up there with a clouded mind and things are just a tick late or a tick off. That can get frustrating. I was able to step back and simplify things and things are going well.”
*** Thrown into the position because Cesar Hernandez was entrenched at second, Scott Kingery has continued to show defensive excellence at shortstop.
That doesn’t mean the Phils are in a rush to make that his permanent position.
“Even when he was a second baseman, we didn’t say he was a second baseman,” Kapler said. “So there is no reason to say he’s a shortstop or a third baseman or any position in particular.”
*** NOTES » The Nationals hit seven home runs, a franchise record for a road game … Luis Garcia (strained wrist) mixed in some splitters during an encouraging throwing session Friday … Velasquez (5-8, 4.69 ERA) will face Nats right-hander and former Phil Jeremy Hellickson (20, 2.28) Saturday at 6:05 … The Phils have lost four of their last six.