Eastern fans weigh in on pitching changes as the regular season comes to a close
Philadelphia never disappoints when it comes to passion for playoff baseball. From red and white rally towels to chants at opposing pitchers with “The Loud House,” the electricity never disappoints. The Philadelphia Phillies have been one of the top teams in Major League Baseball since the beginning of the season, but fans are skeptical about the end-of-the-season stretch.
Fans are waiting for deep home runs from star designated hitter Kyle Schwarber and first baseman Bryce Harper, and stunning pitching from Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez. However, after losing their ace starting pitcher, Zack Wheeler, to a season-ending blood clot injury, many Phillies fans are concerned that their starting rotation is insufficient to win and pitching is their biggest concern.
Eastern University senior Paul McConnell states that he is not worried about the Phillies’ postseason chances, but he is “very worried about the inconsistency on the mound.” McConnell added that the Phillies do not necessarily need to use a five-man rotation, but rather move a starter into the bullpen. “I would like to see Aaron Nola move there,” McConnell said.
McConnell is very optimistic about the Phillies’ chances to win a ring with this bullpen, especially “set up” pitchers Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering, and newly acquired closer Jhoan Duran from Minnesota. “Not having a true closer has been our issue over the last few postseasons,” McConnell adds, “[Duran] is our first true closer since Brad Lidge in 2008.”
Duran earned a spot in every fan’s heart after his first appearance and save against Detroit on Aug. 1. After a stellar comeback from the Phillies’ bats, Duran came into the game to his renowned entrance and retired the middle of the Tigers lineup in order, with two pitches clocking in over 100mph, immediately drawing eyes from every fan. “His entrance is electric,” said junior Sean Holotanko. “It generates confidence in the crowd and the team as well.”
Holotanko mentions that he is not concerned about the Phillies’ ability to make it to the postseason, even after a “terrible series” against the New York Mets from Aug. 25-27. “Schwarber was 0-16 in that series, but he turns around and has four home runs against the Braves, so I am not worried about this team’s ability to flip a switch even after a few bad games.”
Similar to McConnell, Holotanko agrees that the bullpen is not the issue and is strong enough to take Philadelphia to the World Series. They both agreed that Aaron Nola should move to the bullpen as well.
The Phillies have a tough stretch at the end of their regular season, but they hope to carry a lot of momentum going into October. Broad Street awaits a sea of red this October. Will the Phillies gain a top playoff seed and finally bring the Commissioner’s Trophy back to the city of Philadelphia for the first time since 2008?