GDT 6/6/25 Philadelphia Phillies (Ross) @ Pittsburgh Pirates (Falter)

[VoteForKalas]

When you have a bullpen game, you need the offense to show up and score runs. We're playing the Pirates, not the 2024 Dodgers. We can't score more than 4 runs?

Teasingly inconsistent is the mantra for this offense. One night we score 10, the next 1. I know that is baseball and that hitting is hard etc., but we need to find some ways to manufacture runs if their usual three true outcome approach is not working.

Get on base, steal bases, hit & run, do something to jump start the engine that continues to be stuck in neutral far too often. This has been a problem for multiple seasons and not been addressed in any significant way. Hope is not a strategy.

[zambonir]

It is seeming so again. But that means Suarez is his replacement (maybe not in the 9th, but one of the Top 3).

Or Bednar is.

[andyb]

Why not Suarez in the 9th? Really try to answer the question of who in the bullpen is better.

[zambonir]

Haha my bad I actually meant to say Walker. As things currently stand he's already supposed to be one of the Top 4 relievers.

They still need Ranger in the rotation as things currently stand too (especially with Luzardo hitting this bump).

I gather Romano did not really give up any hard hit balls last night. And Strahm hasn't really been that great overall in recent weeks either.

I think they just continue to suck it up and try to get through June. Not worth overpaying in trade just for playoff seeding. If the stakes are playoffs vs. no playoffs that would be a different story.

[EDmuch]

I think it is really time to address the inadequacy of the offense. Our offense is really 3 guys: Turner, Harper and Schwarber. The rest, Bohm. Stott, Marsh, Kepler, Wilson, Rojas, Sosa are, at best adequate, and at worst unacceptable.
When Harper is out, we are incredibly weak. I don't know if Kemp is a major league hitter. I don't know if Crawford is ready to play center field and bat lead off. But it is time to make some tweaks.

[HopeSpringsEternal]

I gather Romano did not really give up any hard hit balls last night.

The first two singles were well placed balls that were not hit that hard. Then the bunt hit by IKF loaded the bases (I wish someone besides Stott could learn to bunt on the Phillies). With the bases loaded and nobody out, the stage was already set for a loss - the strikeout of Oneil Cruz left us a glimmer of hope, but the sacrifice fly to end the game was the hardest hit ball of the 9th inning. Romano has not been great, but this was not an implosion by our closer. I think Romano should continue to get the ball in the 9th inning, but he needs to get better results soon or be moved to a setup role.

[andyb]

Then the bunt hit by IKF loaded the bases (I wish someone besides Stott could learn to bunt on the Phillies).

Kind of amazing that Ralph Kiner's only major league relative is this type of player. It was a great bunt though I wonder how flat that chalk line was.