The Orioles appeared to be better than many would have thought, and the Phils were swept at home by a team that lost 108 games last season.
However, a lot of that negative energy was “brushed” away over the weekend, when the Phillies won all three games against the Mets. They finished the deal on Sunday 6-2, improving to 8-9 as they head into their first road trip of the season.
McCutchen’s breakout game?
Andrew McCutchen was struggling heading into Sunday, hitting only .180. Manager Joe Girardi did not have McCutchen in the starting lineup. However, Jay Bruce came down with a quad injury sometime during the afternoon, so the Phils put McCutchen in left field in the middle of the game.
“To say it felt great is an understatement,” McCutchen said afterward.
Maybe it will be what the outfielder needs to get on a roll in this 60-game shortened season.
“I’ve been putting the work in every single day, showing up to the field early, doing everything that I need to do to get myself feeling like myself,” he said. “And sometimes, it takes a little longer for that to translate to the game.”
Wheeler deals against his old team
The Phillies paid Zack Wheeler a lot of money in the off-season to be a top-end rotation pitcher for at least five years. The Mets, Wheeler’s former team, chose not to pay Wheeler a lucrative $100 million-plus salary.
In his first meeting against his former squad, Wheeler went seven innings, while allowing two runs on six hits and striking out four. He improved to 3-0 as a Phil, sporting a 2.18 ERA.
As mentioned, Bruce left early with a quad injury. Infielder Jean Segura also exited before the conclusion of the game with a hamstring issue. Before the game, the Phillies put outfielder Roman Quinn on the injured list because he reported a sore throat and earache — which Girardi commended for sharing. Quinn needs to pass some tests before returning to the team.
What this means for the Phils’ depth is unknown. Adam Haseley is already on the 10-day injured list. Altogether, that’s three outfielders and an infielder who may not be available for the Phils in the coming days.