Rob Thomson on reliever usage down the stretch, Kevin Long discusses Brandon Marsh’s adjustments
NEW YORK — The back end of the Phillies bullpen has made life much easier for Rob Thomson over his first 11 weeks as interim manager. When asked during his introductory press conference, Thomson said he does not have a steadfast rule when it comes to reliever workload. When it was appropriate, Thomson indicated he wouldn’t hesitate to use a relief pitcher three days in a row.
“I’m not going to say we do it every time because we take it case by case,” Thomson said in June. “If they got low pitch counts the first two nights and the guy looks you in the eye and says ‘Hey, I’m ready to go’ and you trust him, it’s a possibility.”
Jeurys Familia is still the only Phillies reliever to pitch three days in a row this season. The reality is that the Phillies haven’t had to think much about overworking their relievers since Thomson has taken over as manager.
Phillies back-to-back relief outingsPlayer Back-to-backs since June 1 Back-to-backs before June 1 Seranthony Domínguez 5 3 José Alvarado 4 3 Corey Knebel `1 4 Brad Hand 3 3 Andrew Bellatti 3 5
It’s a combination of many things. Thomson deploys relievers based on matchups, but no matter the spot, the unit has just had more success in recent weeks. The eight relievers in the Phillies bullpen have a combined 2.74 ERA since Thomson has taken over as manager.
Domínguez deserves the most credit out of the bunch for emerging as a bullpen ace, whether he’s pitching in the ninth or not. Phillies starters have also thrown at least six innings 45 times under Thomson, which puts less strain on the bullpen. The Phillies will operate Sunday with a completely rested bullpen and an ace on the mound. It’s a manager’s dream.
With a solid bullpen and a stretch run ahead of him, Thomson said he is ready to push his best relievers late in games, if needed. Don’t act surprised if you see a bullpen arm pitch three days in a row.
“I feel comfortable with it. For the last two or three weeks, I’ve felt comfortable with it. Just the situation really hasn’t come on,” Thomson said. “We’ve just been so good out there. Everybody’s been so good that you can almost stagger guys. There’s not much opportunity for three days in a row, really.”
Marsh making adjustments
The Phillies have high hopes for Brandon Marsh, who was acquired at the trade deadline from the Los Angeles Angels for catching prospect Logan O’Hoppe. His defense in center fielder makes him an important contributor for the 2022 Phillies, but his ability to hit will determine whether he sticks on the roster for the next five or six years.
This is why the Phillies hired Kevin Long. He’s done his part this year. Bryson Stott, Matt Vierling and Alec Bohm are all contributing at the plate this year in big ways. J.T. Realmuto is back to being one of the best hitting catchers in the sport after a dreadful start. Marsh is another project for the 55-year-old.
Once a top prospect in the Angels system, Marsh has been scuffling at the plate early on in his big league career. He’s striking out at a 35% clip this season, but remarkably, Marsh did not record a swing and miss in his first 20 plate appearances as a Phillie. That streak came to a screeching halt when he had to face Max Scherzer, Edwín Diaz and Jacob deGrom this weekend.
“The fact that he hadn’t swung and missed for quite a while is a testament to him and making those adjustments,” Long said. “I can see it vividly. And he can feel it. He said ‘I’m seeing the ball better.'”
Long said Marsh is more spread out and his front foot is closer to where he is going to take his swing.
Long says Bryson Stott has made similar changes to his setup this season. Stott has eliminated his stride and it has translated to success at the plate. Since June 1, Stott has a .726 OPS, but the quality of the at-bats from the Phillies shortstop suggests that the results do not tell the entire story. He has shown this weekend that he can handle high level pitching as he has reached based safely against Scherzer and deGrom five times.
“I want them to be in a good position to be able to react to the baseball,” Long said. “Everything that we do, you have a split second to react. So the closer you are to the hitting position, the closer you are to what I would call when your front foot hits, you gotta be down and ready to swing. If you’re able to do those things, you give yourself a chance. If you’re not, which most guys are late, you’re fighting an uphill battle, especially in today’s game.”
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