USATSI_18116849 — © Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Phillies Bullpen the Culprit in Loss at Colorado

The Philadelphia Phillies blew a comeback attempt 6-5 on Tuesday night against the Colorado Rockies.

Author:
Ben Silver
Apr 19, 2022 11:51 PM EDT

The Philadelphia Phillies lost not one, but two leads on Tuesday night.

Kyle Gibson started the game well, powering through the first three innings scoreless. He'd been dominant so far in the young year, one of the few players on the Phillies whose performed as such.

While Gibson silenced the Colorado Rockies' bats, the Phillies took an early first inning lead off the play of Rhys Hoskins and Bryce Harper. They tripled and single respectively off of Rockies starter Kyle Freeland.

Matt Vierling's RBI-single in the second inning increased that lead to two. Now with some insurance for the first time in what felt like weeks, it seemed the Phillies might have an easier victory in their grasp. It was not to be.

Gibson allowed back-to-back singles to leadoff the fourth inning. Then C.J. Cron got the Rockies on the board with a sacrifice fly. It would not be Cron's last big hit of the night.

With two outs, Gibson allowed two more singles, this time to Randal Grichuk and Elias Dias, who tied the game, then gave the Rockies the lead.

Gibson stayed in the game for two more innings, pitching well and left after six strong innings, with the three runs in the fourth the only ones he allowed.

But before he was lifted, Kyle Schwarber broke out of his apparent slump. Realmuto singled to lead off the top of the inning and Schwarber whacked his third home run of the year, a sinking liner near the left field foul pole. The Phillies were back on top with a late lead.

That lead was to be short lived.

Seranthony Domínguez was the first reliever out of the bullpen for Joe Girardi. He got two quick outs, then had Charlie Blackmon in the hole 0-2 before spotting the upper outside corner with a perfect pitch that home plate umpire Paul Emmel called a ball.

The Rockies had their toe in the door, now they would kick it open.

Blackmon worked an impressive walk before Bryant chopped a softly hit single at Alec Bohm. With no play at either first or second Bohm held the ball. That would be the end of the night for Domínguez who was lifted for Jeurys Famillia.

Famillia got two strikes on the Rockies cleanup hitter, Cron, then allowed a titanic blast to left field, the Phillies had surrendered another lead, this time they would not get it back.

Realmuto led off the top of the eighth with a double and Schwarber scored him with an RBI single, making it a 6-5 Rockies lead. But Bohm grounded into a double play, ending the Phillies eighth inning threat.

Johan Camargo, who had replaced an injured Didi Gregorius in the fourth and collected two hits on the night, led off the ninth against Rockies' closer Daniel Bard.

Camargo crushed a liner to the opposite that Ryan McMahon speared on a fantastic play to pick the first out of the ninth. Then Bryson Stott and Jean Segura both went down quietly to finish the score line 6-5.

The Phillies wrap up their series tomorrow in Colorado at 3:40 with Zach Eflin on the mound facing Germán Márquez.