Gonzalez Hammered in Debut, Phils Lose 11-5

To say things didn’t go as planned for Severino Gonzalez would be a massive understatement. The 22-year old rookie made his Major League debut this evening and was tasked with facing one of the NL’s best offenses.

He did not do well.

Gonzalez was hit hard and hit often, allowing seven earned runs in just two and two thirds innings pitched. Three straight hits in the first plated two for the Cards off the Panamanian hurler while two more were plated in the second via three Cardinals hits, a walk, and a ground out. Down 4-0, the Phillies punched back in the top of the third, with Odubel Herrera driving in Freddy Galvis with Herrera’s sixth double of the season. Chase Utley would follow Herrera with a RBI single to pull the Phillies to within two.

But the wheels continued to fall off for Gonzalez until the chassis hit the ground. Gonzalez’s final line? Seven runs, all earned, allowed via ten hits and two walks in two and two thirds innings pitched.

Gonzalez, leaving pitch after pitch over the plate, allowed three more runs in the third, getting pulled after an RBI single by pitcher Michael Wacha. Dustin McGowan shut the door in the third and pitched a scoreless fourth.

The offense, now down 7-2, did not give up. In the top of the fifth, Galvis scored after his second of three singles on a Herrera ground out. Utley would drive in Grady Sizemore

, who had a pinch hit walk, on a ground out as well. But the Phillies couldn’t keep the game close: Jake Diekman would let Jason Heyward walk before retiring Yadier Molina and Kolten Wong. With two outs, Diekman walked the pitcher, Wacha, and the Baseball Gods responded accordingly with a Jon Jay RBI single and a Matt Carpenter double.

The Phillies would draw the game to 9-5 with an RBI, pinch hit double by Andres Blanco scoring Ben Revere but that would be the closest they came all night to the lead. The Cards would score a pair of unearned runs by way of a Grady Sizemore error in the eighth and the Phils would fall 11-5.

The Phillies send Aaron Harang to the mound tomorrow night in Game 3 of the four game set to face Carlos Martinez. First pitch is scheduled for 8:15 PM EST.