PHILADELPHIA — Things have certainly been sunny in Philadelphia recently.
The Phillies began Saturday’s game having won 50 of their past 76 contests, the franchise’s best such stretch since 2011. Starting pitchers for interim manager Rob Thomson had logged 14 quality starts in their past 19 outings. Reigning National League MVP Bryce Harper returned to a rowdy ovation on Friday.
If sunshine represents the eastern side of the state, the Pirates long ago learned that when it rains, it pours.
During a 6-0 loss to the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, the Pirates followed an all-too-familiar script. Their starting pitcher, Tyler Beede, struggled. Pittsburgh fell into an early hole, did nothing with men on base, and the offense continued to sputter. The loss was their seventh in a row, the 13th in their past 15, and they’re not 8-25 since the All-Star break.
“They’ve jumped on us early,” manager Derek Shelton said. “Our bullpen did a nice job again [Saturday]. They did a nice job last night. We just gave up too many runs early.”
The scary part is that there’s really no end in sight. Beede became a starter when Jose Quintana was dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals. It still feels strange there wasn’t a better option, given pretty much everyone expected the Pirates to trade the veteran left-hander who was on an expiring contract, but no. Beede got the nod, and he now has a 9.60 ERA across five starts.
“Right now we’re a little bit strapped there,” Shelton said. “[Saturday] Tyler was too much in the middle of the plate. You get in the middle of the plate with this club, you’re gonna get beat.”
No, Beede hasn’t been particularly good as a starter. He said so himself after this outing, admitting that he’s tried to be too fine, and it once again cost him. The issue Saturday was either being in the middle of the plate or nibbling and missing.
“I've got to execute,” Beede said. “I’ve got to stay ahead in the count, make good pitches and be more efficient."
Behind Beede, Miguel Yajure is only now coming out of a rough stretch in Triple-A. It may be too soon for Mike Burrows. Max Kranick had Tommy John surgery. It’s probably pie-in-the-sky stuff to think Cody Bolton will solve the problem.
Which, again, is why the frustration continues to bubble for the Pirates, who are struggling in multiple areas — an offense held to three or fewer runs 12 times this month, an MLB-high 91 errors and a starting rotation that thins out fast.
There have also been preventable mistakes.
Like Greg Allen getting picked off after a two-out single in the second or the Pirates getting two on with nobody out, then making three consecutive outs in the fifth. Bligh Madris cracked a leadoff double in the seventh, and the Pirates did nothing with it — Allen and Tucupita Marcano struck out looking, and Tyler Heineman grounded out to second.
“Our approach has to be better,” Shelton said.
On the flip side, Beede walked three and hit two, with three of those scoring. Catcher JT Realmuto had a three-run double in the first. The Phillies tacked on two more in the second, and right fielder Nick Castellanos made it a 6-0 game in the third when he crushed a spinning slider from Beede out to right-center field.
“My mentality, at least from what I think, hasn't changed,” Beede said of changing roles. “But I clearly haven't been as efficient as I need to be. A lot of things to work on."
While Beede struggled — remember, he had a 2.64 ERA and .209 batting average against in his first 17 appearances as a Pirate, all of them out of the bullpen — his mound opponent, Philadelphia’s Kyle Gibson, cruised.
Leaning on a six-pitch mix and throwing nothing more than 20% of the time, Gibson gave the Phillies seven scoreless innings, scattering five singles and the Madris double, walking one and striking out nine. Of the 103 pitches Gibson threw, 33 resulted in a called strike on the Pirates or a swing and miss.
On the positive side, Chase De Jong continues to pitch well in a multi-inning role. Entering Saturday, opponents were hitting just .168 against De Jong, who dropped his ERA to a career-low 2.01 with three scoreless frames.
Lefties Eric Stout and Cam Vieaux followed De Jong and worked a pair of scoreless, hitless innings, walking none and striking out five.
In a season full of frustrating things — trades, injuries, under-performance, you name it — De Jong has been the exception. He has proven himself to be a capable reliever, a future piece the Pirates probably didn’t think they had at the beginning of the season.
“I’ve been efficient with my best pitches,” De Jong said. “Been able to go right after guys.”
Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG.
First Published: August 28, 2022, 1:15 a.m.
Updated: August 28, 2022, 12:17 p.m.
