For Kingery, it’s another missed opportunity
PHILADELPHIA » If a baseball career comes with a finite number of opportunities, Scott Kingery’s list has been trimmed by one.
Given a surprise chance to show the Phillies what they once awarded him $24 million to do, Kingery went 1-for-7 with three strikeouts, then made a hasty retreat back to Lehigh Valley.
“Go play every day and get your swing right,” Joe Girardi said Tuesday, before a 6-5 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. “It’s hard to come up here and not play every day and not see live pitching every day and make adjustments.”
Kingery hit .159 in 36 games in 2020, but the Phillies were comfortable dismissing some of that to his early-season coronavirus. It was when he hit .159 in spring training that the Phils realized the problem ran deeper than the brief illness.
Their plan was to keep him stashed at their alternate site to relocate his swing. But infielders Didi Gregorius and Ronald Torreyes were placed in virus protocol and Jean Segura had a quad injury, they were forced to interrupt the remedial-hitting course and promote Kingery back to the major leagues.
In his brief return, Kingery showed no improvement and was optioned Monday to the Class AAA IronPigs.
“He’s made adjustments,” Girardi said. “But now we need the adjustments he’s made in BP to carry over into the game.”
The Phillies want Kingery to play regularly in Allentown. Those opportunities will be more plentiful when Segura and Torreyes finish their current rehab assignments.
“He was able to work with (Phillies hitting coach) Joe (Dillon) and I think that’s good too,” Girardi said. “Hopefully he gets it going. Obviously, we would like to have him play every day.”
••• Continuing to wait for his injured wrist to heal, the Phillies rested Bryce Harper for a second consecutive game Monday.
Girardi: “I don’t have any updates. We’ll go through the day and see how he is. Hopefully he gets better each day and we get him out there soon.”
After starting Odubel Herrera in right Monday, Girardi used Brad Miller Tuesday. Miller responded with a three-run, third-inning home run, his third of the season.
“Brad’s swinging the bat,” Girardi said before the game. “He’s swinging the bat really well. So we’ll put him out there and hopefully we get a couple hits from him and some damage and go from there.”
• • •
After a 30-pitch first-inning, Aaron Nola went six innings, allowing five hits and one run, striking out 10. He retired 13 of the last 14 Brewers he faced.
The double-figure strikeout game was the 18th of Nola’s career, and his second this season. He struck out 10 Cardinals April 18.
“He gave us a gutsy performance,” Girardi said.
• • •
Herrera was 1-for-3 with a run scored in a 4-3 triumph over Milwaukee Monday. Tuesday, he replaced Roman Quinn in the fourth inning after the centerfielder suffered a cut requiring nine stitches to his right index finger.
X-rays on Quinn’s finger were negative.
Herrera went 0-for-2 with a strikeout.
“He’s doing OK,” Girardi said beforehand. “Again, he hasn’t seen big-league pitching in two years and I think it is going to take some time. But he had a hit (Monday) and that’s encouraging. We’ll try to keep him going in the right direction.”
• • •
For the second time in three games, Andrew McCutchen opened the bottom of the first with a home run. He homered again in the Phillies’ five-run fifth.
McCutchen’s last multihomer game was Sept. 26, 2017.
“I still have a ways to go,” McCutchen said. “But it’s good to know that my work is paying off.”
After admitting this week that he’d been having trouble tracking line drives, McCutchen also made a couple of challenging defensive plays in left.
Girardi was not able to provide clarity on a possible McCutchen eye test.
• • •
Cristopher Sanchez, who’d been promoted to replace Kingery Monday, was sent back to Lehigh Valley Tuesday, and right-hander Enyel De Los Santos was recalled.
In 12 appearances for the
Phillies over the past two seasons, De Los Santos was 1-1 with a 5.00 ERA.
Girardi intended to allow De Los Santos to relieve Nola to begin the seventh Tuesday, only to learn that he was not on the umpire’s lineup card. Sanchez was, though, listed.
That bookkeeping error properly exposed, Girardi settled for David Hale.
“I just didn’t catch it,” Girardi said. “Ultimately it falls on me. I tell you I look at the cards all the time. I count to 26 players. Make sure everyone on there. I missed it today.”
Hale lasted all of three batters before Girardi dragged him out in favor of Jo Jo Romero. By the end of
the inning, the 6-1 lead Nola provided was down to 6-5.
• • •
After a strong, six-inning start Monday, Vince Velasquez will start Saturday in Atlanta.
“He’s earned that,” said Girardi.
Chase Anderson (1-3, 5.40) ERA will oppose Milwaukee right-hander Freddy Peralta (3-0, 2.25) Wednesday night at 7:05. Thursday at 1:05, it will be Zack Wheeler (2-2, 3.49) and right-hander Brandon Woodruff (2-0, 1.80).
• • •
Spencer Howard, still deep in the Phillies’ plans as a starter, will start Wednesday night for the IronPigs on an unspecified pitch count.