Thomson on bullpen: 'We've got the pieces there to get it done'
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PHILADELPHIA -- Rob Thomson was asked before Sunday's series finale against the Marlins if he thought the Phillies had a bullpen issue.
"I don't," Thomson said. "Because it's still a small sample size. I know we have really good arms, really good stuff out there. We've just got to keep working at it, keep grinding through it."
A few hours later, he watched Orion Kerkering serve up a go-ahead three-run homer to Javier Sanoja in the eighth inning. Then, after the Phillies rallied in the bottom half, Matt Strahm later allowed two runs (one earned) in the 10th inning as the Phillies ultimately dropped a 7-5 decision at Citizens Bank Park.
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That came after the Phillies narrowly escaped with an 11-10 victory on Saturday despite Jordan Romano being tagged for six runs in the ninth inning to turn an 11-4 lead into a one-run game.
It leaves Philadelphia¡¯s bullpen with a 5.81 ERA. The only team with a worse mark is the last-place Nationals. Sunday also marked the Phillies' sixth blown save this season, the most in the Majors.
But to Thomson's point, that is indeed a small sample size. Just look at last season.
Through 22 games in 2024, the Phillies' bullpen had a 5.48 ERA, allowing 42 earned runs in 69 innings. Through 22 games in ¡®25, it has allowed 45 earned runs in 69 2/3 innings.
It can change in a hurry.
That same relief corps that struggled out of the gate last season put up a 2.13 ERA over 84 1/3 innings in May -- the best mark by any team in the Majors. From May onward, the Phillies had a top-10 bullpen in terms of ERA.
Of course, that group included Jeff Hoffman (2.17 ERA last year) and, eventually, Carlos Est¨¦vez (2.57 ERA after being acquired at the Trade Deadline).
Jos¨¦ Alvarado, who came in to clean up Romano's mess Saturday and tossed a scoreless ninth Sunday, has a 2.53 ERA and is 5-for-5 in save opportunities. Strahm, even with Sunday's setback, has a 1.74 ERA. And while Kerkering's ERA jumped to 4.50 ERA on Sunday, it was only the second time in nine appearances he allowed a run.
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But with Hoffman now with the Blue Jays and Est¨¦vez with the Royals, that has left some high-leverage opportunities that the Phillies are still waiting for someone other than Alvarado, Strahm or Kerkering to seize.
Newcomers Romano (15.26 ERA) and Carlos Hern¨¢ndez (9.00 ERA in six appearances) have yet to get going. Jos¨¦ Ruiz (6.14 ERA) and Joe Ross (7.45 ERA) have also struggled, while Tanner Banks (3.00 ERA) has pitched well in mostly non-leverage situations.
When the Phillies' bullpen hit its stride last year, there were times when Thomson had up to six relievers he trusted in the late innings. He could essentially roll out three for the seventh, eighth and ninth one night and three others the next -- keeping everyone fresh.
As it stands now, he's being forced to use Kerkering, Strahm and Alvarado any time they're available in a close game. That¡¯s not only a problem long term, but it also presents issues like the one the Phillies will face on Monday, when they go into their series opener against the division-leading Mets with both Alvarado and Strahm likely unavailable after pitching each of the past two days.
"It's important," Thomson said of finding help for that high-leverage trio. "But I think we've got the pieces there to get it done."
Kerkering thinks so, too.
"Same mood, same everything," Kerkering said when asked about the difference from last year to this year. "No one's really changed their attitude or like, 'Oh, we have to be this kind of bullpen because Hoffy left or Carlos left.' Not a different vibe. It's the same vibe as it's always been."
Perspective is important, especially in April -- and especially when it comes to bullpens, where mistakes are magnified because they often decide games.
As troubling as some of the early season hiccups have been, it¡¯s worth noting that Sunday was the first time this season the Phillies lost a game when leading after seven innings. They came in a perfect 12-0 when carrying a lead into the eighth inning. Only the Padres (13-0) had won more such games without a loss.
"It's frustrating,¡± Thomson said, ¡°but it's also the first time we've lost a game while we're leading after seven. It's going to happen every once in a while. You've just got to shake yourself off and go get them tomorrow."