Categories: 2023 Postgame Recaps

Phillies pitching shelled as team loses second straight game to open 2023

Zack Wheeler is in his fourth season with the Phillies.(Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire)

Final Score: Rangers 16, Phillies 3

ARLINGTON — For much of Saturday afternoon’s Philadelphia Phillies-Texas Rangers matchup, the poor performance of home plate umpire C.B. Bucknor was the story of the game.

But ultimately, Phillies pitching — including two of the most important arms on the team — struggled too much for the takeaway to be about umpiring. There just isn’t a formula where both Zack Wheeler and Seranthony Domínguez struggle and good things happen. And that’s what happened Saturday, leaving the Phillies winless after the first two games of the 2023 season.

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Two-time American League MVP finalist Marcus Semien led off the bottom of the first inning by taking Wheeler deep to right-center field:

The Rangers would ultimately climb out to a 4-0 lead, with Robbie Grossman driving in runs in the first and third innings and Adolis García scoring on a third-inning error by Trea Turner.

After being rung up by Bucknor on a pitch clearly out of the zone in his first at-bat, Nick Castellanos got the Phillies on the board in the top of the fourth inning when he lined a ball off of pitcher Nathan Eovaldi, which redirected into right field and allowed both J.T. Realmuto and Darick Hall to score.

Unfortunately for the Phillies, Castellanos and Bryson Stott were ultimately stranded in scoring position when Brandon Marsh had strike three called by Bucknor on a pitch clearly out of the zone:

Turner atoned for his error by leading off the top of the fifth inning with a triple into the right-field corner, his second triple in as many games. He was plated on an RBI groundout by Kyle Schwarber:

Wheeler’s final pitch of the day came on a 3-2 count in the bottom of the fifth inning that Bucknor called a ball, another questionable decision from the veteran umpire.

Later in the frame, the Rangers had runners on first and second base with two outs against Yunior Marte. A bad call by Bucknor seemed to go in the favor of the Phillies, as Mitch Garver took a called strike believing — probably with good reason — that it was ball four. Instead, the at-bat continued, and Garver hit Marte’s next pitch 381 feet for a home run:

Seranthony Domínguez came on to pitch the top of the eighth inning following a clean frame from José Alvarado in the seventh. Domínguez walked Josh Jung to lead off the inning, which Grossman followed with a single into right field. And for the second time in as many at-bats, Garver belted a three-run home run, this time putting the game out of reach:

Before the game was out, Craig Kimbrel would struggle with his command in his Phillies debut, leaving Josh Harrison — also playing in his first regular season game for the team — to take the mound and record the final two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning. All in all, it was a very ugly day for the defending National League Champions.

Bailey Falter will get the ball for the Phillies in the series finale Sunday, with Martín Pérez slated to toe the rubber for the Rangers on Sunday Night Baseball.

Shibe Vintage Sports Notes

Dating back to April 1, 2014, the Rangers have now won 11 consecutive games against the Phillies.
Wheeler struck out seven over 4 1/3 innings pitched in his season debut, but also allowed seven hits and five runs, four of which were earned.
Wheeler and Aaron Nola combined to go just eight innings in their first starts, allowing nine earned runs over that stretch.
If you’re looking for a silver lining (you probably aren’t), Nick Castellanos has three doubles in the first two games of the season.
31,916 was the attendance in Arlington for Saturday afternoon’s game.

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