Second half will provide real reason to celebrate
PHILADELPHIA >> The first half of the Phillies’ season ended in a pile-up celebration at home plate, with players drenching each other with water buckets, exchanging fist-bumps and screaming in delight over their second walk-off victory in less than 24 hours.
Even if they were still in second place in the NL East, a fourgame winning streak had left them enthused after 81 games and inspired to play 81 more. And ever convinced of their championship potential, they had overcome injuries to several of their most expensive players and a recent sevengame losing streak to remain thick in the postseason races.
With some injured but experienced relief pitchers soon to return, and with what could be a productive everyday eight settling into comfortable roles, one half of one season was plenty long for a conclusion: The Phillies will be in, and are solid enough to survive, a pennant race.
“I had a conversation with Jimmy Rollins in the (clubhouse) kitchen,” Gabe Kapler said. “He had mentioned how impressed he was with the fight of our club the last couple of days. He mentioned that he saw guys playing hard and really getting after it and never feeling like they were out of any game. He brought that to my attention.
“We never feel like we’re out of a game.”
With that, they never felt like they were out of a season, no matter how strong the challenges. And there were challenges. Aaron Nola, a year after a breakthrough, Cy Young-candidacy season, started slowly. Odubel Herrera, a 2016 AllStar, was arrested in an alleged domestic violence episode and never returned. Andrew McCutchen, one of the best players of his generation and a significant offseason acquisition, had a season-ending knee-shred. David Robertson, a $23 million purchase intended to be a valuable bullpen piece, didn’t last seven innings before being injured. Tommy Hunter didn’t pitch at all. Pat Neshek pitched whenever it wasn’t an inconvenience. Seranthony Dominguez almost needed Tommy John surgery.
On other fronts, general manager Matt Klentak just guessed wrong. His bench proved weak. He thought he had enough options behind Nola and Jake Arrieta to comfortably find three more reliable starters. But Jerad Eickhoff can never stay healthy, Nick Pivetta was inconsistent and Vince Velasquez was Vince Velasquez. And the starting pitching troubles put stress on that decimated bullpen.
For that, the Phillies tumbled from first place to second in a matter of days, with Kapler being openly ridiculed for his lack of discipline and Klentak questioned about construction of his roster.
“You think about the outfield, we thought we were going to have too many outfielders, with (Aaron) Altherr and (Nick) Williams and (Roman) Quinn, plus the guys coming in the system, plus the regulars,” Klentak said. “And then Odubel gets placed on administrative leave, Aaron is DFAd, Quinny is on the DL, (Adam) Haseley comes up and hits the DL. It’s hard to project you’re going to have that many guys go down at roughly the same time. It’s not impossible. We’re not the only team that faces these types of things.
“And similarly in the bullpen, we came into it expecting that depth was going to be the key, more so than any one electric arm. And it turns out our depth has been compromised and we’ve had Hector (Neris) throwing about as good as anybody. It’s baseball, you know? We do the best we can to evaluate what we have, and bake in the risk of poor performance and health. But we’re not always going to be right about that.”
Klentak and the Phils were right, though, on several fronts. They spent $330,000,000 for 13 years’ worth of Bryce Harper, who has been their most dynamic player, a defensive asset and a consistent threat to get on base. And while his home run production has been just OK given that he was expected to go record-hunting in tiny Citizens Bank Park, he is on pace for triple-figure RBIs. Rhys Hoskins benefited from a move from left field to first base. J.T. Realmuto has been among the game’s most productive defensive catchers. Scott Kingery, after a rough first season, has reemerged as a developing star. Cesar Hernandez has had some productive offensive moments. For next to nothing, Klentak was able to rob Seattle of Jay Bruce, still a dangerous power hitter and a quick fan favorite. Jean Segura, even if not always ready to sprint to first base, has provided defensive stability and offensive pop. That would have been him the other day in the midst of that celebration, having just whistled a threerun homer into the left-field audience.
“For us, we know what kind of team we are,” Harper said. “We know what we can do. It’s just staying focused and doing those things, staying positive. We don’t want to lose.”
The trade deadline is at the end of July. Klentak will add pieces, though he will not disrupt his nucleus. Robertson, Hunter and Neshek eventually should help. And if Harper uncorks one sensational power month, the Phillies will circle back to the top of the division.
“I think with the guys that we do have, we’re always smiling, we’re always laughing, we’re always trying to enjoy what we do,” Harper said the other day. “The game of baseball is hard. Sometimes you’re going to win. Sometimes you’re going to go through stretches like we did. Hopefully, we can keep going, play really good baseball and finish this first half out over the next couple weeks.”
They finished their first half with two days of on-field celebration.
They have enough to finish their second half that way too.