2018 Philadelphia Phillies: Bullpen battles rage on toward October

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Arano is becoming a solid ninth-inning option when Dominguez is unavailable or struggling. Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images. /

The Phillies better-than-expected summer mostly in first place has made the stretch drive much easier than anticipated in early July, and general manager Matt Klentak’s activity at the trading deadline is already paying dividends.

More than one winner:

Although the Philadelphia Phillies didn’t add the closer fans wanted, the current makeup of the relief corps since mid-July is succeeding. In fact, no reliever is willing to give up the spot they earned, but the competition isn’t over.

IN OTHER WORDS: “Competition can be the most nerve-racking experience. Some people just thrive on it.” – Itzhak Perlman

With each game becoming more important, overall stats carry less weight than a player’s recent effectiveness. That stated, management places more emphasis on the production during the increased pressure of the playoff push. Yes, the race can get tighter.

During August, first-place teams have a target on their backs. Keep in mind, the Phils aren’t playing an also-ran in early June when the stakes were much lower. Yes, the highs and lows become more intense with the dwindling schedule.

As for August, the 25-man roster is limiting the return of some familiar faces rehabbing in the minors, and recent acquisitions like Justin Bour can complicate things. Basically, a struggling youngster with options may receive a demotion to the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs to receive daily at-bats.

Regarding the pen, most will have a short leash except for Seranthony Dominguez and Pat Neshek. And when rosters expand, don’t expect unfamiliar names after the MiLB season ends in early September. Auditions are over!

During October, skippers have a quick hook, and starters don’t work their way out of jams like the regular 162. Translation: When the opposition senses an opportunity to shift the momentum, the manager of the hometown nine will stop the rally with a fresh arm. Or so he hopes.

As for the NLDS, the red pinstripes could face a franchise from the NL West. If so, having left-handed relievers is a necessity. The good guys have Adam Morgan, Austin Davis, Aaron “Wolf” Loup and right-hander Tommy Hunter: His ERA is 1.01 less against left-side bats.

Neshek baffles the opposition with his funky delivery. Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images. /

Secondary possibilities:

Despite his demotion to Lehigh Valley, “Happy Hector” Neris has a 1.53 ERA with only one bad outing out of 18. Therefore, he certainly has earned a shot at low-leverage innings, even though locals will be against it. But will he get a call-up?

As an IronPigs starter, righty Drew Anderson is 8-3 with a 3.95 ERA, but he also worked out of the Phillies bullpen on July 24. He fired a perfect frame on 12 pitches. And because he has a 95-mph fastball, Klentak could add his arm to the relief corps for September.

Like Anderson, flamethrower Enyel De Los Santos can also work multiple innings or long relief. He is 9-4 with a 2.51 ERA for the Allentown affiliate and has a 97-mph heater. Additionally, he is a possible replacement for Nick Pivetta if the five-slot hurler has extended ineffectiveness.

WORTH REPEATING: “Great opportunities are not seen with your eyes. They are seen with your mind.” – Robert Kiyosaki

Jerad Eickhoff has time to increase his pitch count from the 42 in his second minor league rehab. So far, he’s had a good appearance and a bad one for the Single-A Advanced Clearwater Threshers. Therefore, he may need two more outings before returning to the rotation or as a long man.

Pivetta has been solid in consecutive performances: 12 frames for a 1.50 ERA. And if he continues pitching well, his spot will be secure. Basically, when he has control, he can dominate but otherwise the result is a clunker. The Phillies don’t have that luxury.

Hunter is providing dependable setup innings for Kapler in the second half. Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images. /

Decisive situations:

Concerning Edubray Ramos, he finally had a good outing for the IronPigs after three clunkers. But prior to his injury he produced a 1.91 ERA before Davis replaced him.

Why did Klentak option Ramos on Aug. 1 after one so-so rehab assignment with the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils? Did something physical produce the bad performances for Lehigh Valley? Or was it his past feud with Asdrubal Cabrera?

The first three appearances by Loup, a lefty specialist, have been a hit batsman, a debacle and a decent mop-up performance. However, he will have more opportunities in August.

When a GM decides the 40 players needing roster protection, he doesn’t have a spot for everyone. As for Davis, no MLB organization drafted him as a Rule 5 selection. Granted, he hasn’t been spectacular, has a 4.63 second-half ERA during a pennant race, but could be a useful southpaw.

Since the All-Star break, Morgan has a 2.70 ERA and is a solid setup man. But he’s not the only hurler who has improved and contributed to the Phillies 12-10 mark: a .546 percentage compared to .556 for the campaign.

With only one poor outing since the four-day vacation, Hunter gives Kapler the confidence to signal for him with the game on the line. He has a 2.08 ERA for 13 chances and has proven he can be dependable.

With proper rest and workload, Dominguez will be consistently effective again. Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images. /

Critical outs:

Regarding the bridge to Dominguez, Luis Garcia is having an excellent second half by not allowing a run in his nine performances. And even though he gets in trouble with a hit or a walk, he puts up a zero on the scoreboard. The fireballer has Kapler’s trust.

To retire the final three batters, Victor Arano will split that duty with Neshek if Dominguez is unavailable. Additionally, Arano hasn’t allowed a run since the mid-July break. In fact, he was one of four hurlers Klentak auditioned last year for a 40-man spot: the only one to stick.

If Neshek can increase his workload, Kapler can keep Dominguez fresh through October. The aging veteran has a 1.23 ERA with only one shaky outing since mid-July’s downtime. Yes, Neshek is money!

Dominguez has struggled due to his workload and/or the league catching up to him. However, he has had six good appearances out of nine in the second half. On the other hand, it’s better this happened now, as opposed to the postseason. Additionally, his performance on Aug. 11 has quieted some fears.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: “Losing is a learning experience. It teaches you humility. It teaches you to work harder. It’s also a powerful motivator.” – Yogi Berra

To sum up, the faithful will be on the edge of their seats for most innings going forward. Yes, the also-rans will want to knock off a first-place team, and playoff hopefuls will bring their best. But how soft is the schedule for the red pinstripes over the remaining 48 games? Fifty-fifty on paper!

Garcia celebrates his first save for 2018. Photo by H. Martin/Getty Images. /

The Numerical Bible:

This review is not a sabermetrics article, which means no heavy statistical analysis. But because some readers rely on stats, this is only a reference: no reason to articulate the importance of these numbers.

Second-half goal of 80 percent (through Aug. 13):

Phillies relievers:

Dominguez: 6 good and 0 so-so out of 9 total for 66.7%
Neshek: 5 good and 2 so-so out of 8 total for 87.5%
Arano: 4 good and 4 so-so out of 8 total for 100.0%
Garcia: 4 good and 5 so-so out of 9 total for 100.0%
Hunter: 8 good and 2 so-so out of 11 total for 90.9%
Morgan: 6 good and 2 so-so out of 10 total for 80.0%
Davis: 6 good and 0 so-so out of 11 total for 54.6%

Second-half stats through Aug. 13: