His team has experienced a series of pauses — caused by necessary precaution after the Marlins coronavirus outbreak and a gloomy weather forecast that ended up wiping out a game, despite the sky clearing up by the time the game was supposed to start.
Some of his big hitters have been inconsistent as they try to find a rhythm after starting and stopping more than once.
And then, there’s his bullpen — which was a question mark coming into the season, and has proven to be the weakness many feared.
Through six games, the Phils' pen has allowed 17 runs. In Wednesday’s doubleheader, some relievers nearly choked away Game 1’s 11-7 victory, while another spoiled Aaron Nola’s superb 12-strikeout performance in Game 2’s 3-1 loss.
“We had a quick spring training, and then you have basically a seven-day layoff where no one really pitches,” Girardi said after failing to sweep Wednesday’s twin bill. “I think it’s really hard to evaluate exactly what we’re going to get moving forward.”
Earlier this week, the skipper explained that three or four outings are needed to properly assess. Only one reliever has pitched three games heading to Thursday night, and that’s Tommy Hunter. (More on him shortly.)
Nola’s gem was overshadowed. The Phils missed a chance to take two from the mighty Yankees in one day when the rotation’s top hurlers — Nola and Zack Wheeler — were performing very well.
“Yeah, you do (feel like you missed a good opportunity),” Girardi said after Nola came up with a no decision despite tying a career high in strikeouts. “You’re able to win the first game ,and then you get a brilliant game by Aaron Nola. But we know how good they are on the other side, and I think you could take a lot of good from that game, even though we don’t win it.”
To Girardi, the way Nola, Wheeler (6 innings, 3 runs, 2 earned runs in Game 1) and Jake Arrieta pitched against the Yankees this week is the “good.”
However, those positives are neutralized by Hunter’s Game 2 dud, the bullpen’s continuing struggles and the Phils' lineup failing to get on base in 16 of the last 17 plate appearances in that loss.
Why Girardi chose Hunter over Neris
So far, one of the few reliable arms Girardi has to choose from in his bullpen is closer Hector Neris, who might have been a better option than Hunter in the seventh inning of Game 2 Wednesday.
Girardi says he didn’t want to use Neris in relief of Nola for a particular reason.
“I've really never been a guy that thought (pitching a reliever on the front and back end of a double header) that was a really good idea,” he said on the Phils Radio Network Pregame Show prior to Game 1. “Every once in a while, you’ll have some pitchers that are extremely resilient, but I think you’re asking for trouble when you start to do that. And even if they don’t get hurt, sometimes I worry about how effective they’re going to be that second time, because it’s not something they’re used to doing.
“But because of where we are, and most relievers have one appearance, maybe two, I think it’s way too early to ask a guy to do both.”
In Game 1, the Phils had a comfortable eight-run lead, thanks to the offense having a breakout game — highlighted by home runs from J.T. Realmuto and Bryce Harper. After Wheeler threw 87 pitches through six innings, Girardi replaced him with Austin Davis for the seventh and final frame. Davis allowed four runs on four hits while recording one out. Trevor Kelley came in for Davis, and allowed two one while also recording only one out.
The tying run was on deck for the Yankees, who are arguably the best team in the sport.
Girardi says it wasn’t his plan to use Neris.
“It’s not what I wanted to do, but I just felt it was the right move, and when you got a chance to win the game, you better win the game,” he said.
Girardi acknowledged he would have used Neris in the second game if he wasn’t called on to close out the first.
The thing is, Neris only threw one pitch to get the final out in the 11-7 victory. However, Girardi’s comment on the pregame show indicated he’s not a fan of pitchers being used in both games of a doubleheader ... which evidently includes throwing only one pitch after leaving the pen.
In fairness, this shortened season — which included a brief shutdown after its commencement — is very delicate. Girardi admitted he has to try to win while making sure his players avoid injury. That philosophy also applied to taking Nola out after 88 pitches. Girardi said the layoff for Nola prior to Wednesday and stressful inning factored into removing him prior to the seventh.
“I have a responsibility to the organization to win — and our fans — but I also have a responsibility of the health of our players. And probably even more important, I have a responsibility to the players that I don’t allow them to hurt themselves because they’re trying to be heroes, because this is their career and it’s how they’re going to make their living. So, a lot of times I have to protect players from themselves, and I take that very seriously.”