Phillies still searching for answers in No. 5 spot after Covey's historically ugly start originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
ATLANTA -- The Phillies felt Dylan Covey pitched well enough behind opener Matt Strahm in his debut with the team Tuesday (5 innings, 1 run) to earn an opportunity to start the next time that spot came up in the rotation.
The result was one of the worst starts in National League history.
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Covey allowed seven runs (five earned) on six hits and two home runs, recording just two outs in the Phillies' 11-4 loss to the Braves on Sunday Night Baseball.
Only six times prior in the history of the NL did a starting pitcher allow that many runs, hits and homers without making it out of the first inning.
"They were just on it," Covey said. "It hurts to go out there and not do your job. It stinks to watch your team try to pick up the pieces for eight innings. Just got to be ready when my name's called next and go from there."
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Ronald Acuña Jr. hit Covey's first pitch of the game back up the middle for a single. Matt Olson followed with a 464-foot home run on a full count. The next batter, Austin Riley, took Covey deep to center field. His sinker repeatedly dropped into the middle of the plate and an offense this deep and powerful doesn't miss many mistakes.
Trea Turner didn't help Covey, making a poor throw to second base on a double-play ball by Marcell Ozuna that resulted in one out instead of two. Three batters later, a grounder from Orlando Arcia went through Turner's legs and was then booted by left fielder Kyle Schwarber. Jeff Hoffman came on in relief after Covey had thrown 30 pitches.
"We didn't help him out at all," manager Rob Thomson said. "The ball gets under Trea, he's really got to move his feet and come and get that ball. But we have to be able to overcome that."
The next time the No. 5 spot comes up is Saturday against the Nationals in D.C. It is unlikely Covey makes that start after how Sunday night went. It could be a bullpen game. It could be a Triple A pitcher already on the 40-man roster like Cristopher Sanchez, who pitched six scoreless innings Sunday.
The Phils still have no good answer at the back of their rotation with Andrew Painter rehabbing an injured elbow and Bailey Falter needing to regain confidence at Triple A. Teams have to be overwhelmed to deal a starting pitcher this early in the season so a trade of any significance is unlikely for at least another month.
"I'm sure we're going to discuss it, but we haven't discussed it yet," Thomson said. "We've just got to look at our options and see where we're at."
Beating the Braves Sunday was always going to be a challenge for the Phillies with their fifth starter going up against Spencer Strider, the majors' strikeout leader. The Phillies had a decent approach early against Strider, forcing him to throw 59 pitches through three innings. Brandon Marsh hit a two-run homer and Bryson Stott doubled in the third. Then the dominant right-hander went into shutdown mode and retired 11 in a row with seven strikeouts.
The Phils scored their other two runs on a homer to center by Schwarber, who was robbed of a longball earlier in the game by Michael Harris II, the Braves' elite center fielder.
"I thought overall, our at-bats against Strider were pretty good," Thomson said. "We got him to 100 pitches in six innings. If you take care of the ball on the other side, you're probably in pretty good shape. We just didn't."
The Phillies split the four-game series with the Braves and move on to the second leg of their 10-game NL East road trip with a 25-28 record. They are off Monday for Memorial Day, then have three at Citi Field against the Mets.
Ranger Suarez, who has a 9.82 ERA and 2.00 WHIP through three struggle-filled starts, goes in the opener against Japanese right-hander Kodai Senga. Getting Suarez right could not be more crucial for the Phillies. Many teams have deficient fifth starters, but it's a major problem when you're also not getting results from the middle of the staff.
Aaron Nola starts the middle game opposite Carlos Carrasco.
Taijuan Walker and Max Scherzer start the series finale Thursday afternoon.
The Phillies are seven games behind the Braves in the NL East. The next time they square off is June 20 in Philly. Between now and then, 13 of Atlanta's 19 games are against some of the worst teams in baseball -- the A's, Nationals, Tigers and Rockies.
"Nobody's really run away with the division," Thomson said. "Everybody in our division is within distance of a playoff spot, and we haven't played well, we haven't played up to our abilities consistently. Now we've got to get going and start playing in all four phases of our game and be consistent with it."
