Once up 7-0, Phillies collapse for 13-7 loss to the Diamondbacks: ‘I don’t really know what happened’

PHOENIX — For the first three innings of the Phillies’ 13-7 loss on Monday night, Ranger Suárez looked like he was cruising toward a no-hitter. Then came the fourth inning. With one out, Suárez allowed two singles, an RBI double, then an RBI single. A run scored when Jean Segura made a fielding error at second base, and from there, Suárez walked Geraldo Perdomo, and allowed another RBI double.

Unable to record the final out after 36 pitches, Suárez, looking dejected, handed over the ball to longman Cristopher Sánchez. The Phillies’ infield defense didn’t do the southpaw any favors — of Suárez’s six runs allowed, only two were earned — but it wasn’t an awe-inspiring performance, especially after how Suárez had been pitching over the first three innings.

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This is the second start in a row where Suárez has struggled with his command in the middle innings. He said after the game that he feels healthy, but doesn’t have any answers as to why it has been happening.

“I don’t really know what happened in the fourth inning,” he said through a translator. “I thought I executed some good pitches that they were able to hit, and they just found the holes.”

Suárez’s outing was compounded by Sánchez’s worst outing of the season so far. The left-handed reliever gave up five earned runs and two walks over just two-thirds of an innings pitched. In the bottom of the fifth, Sánchez allowed a double and two walks to load the bases, and then hit a batter to tie the game at 7-7. An RBI double from Corbin Carroll gave the Diamondbacks a 9-7 lead over the Phillies, just an inning and a half after the Phillies had a 7-0 lead over the Diamondbacks.

The fifth inning from hell continued from there. Unable to record the two outs necessary to finish the inning, Sánchez was pulled for Andrew Bellatti, who allowed a walk, a RBI single and two more walks to give the Diamondbacks an 12-7 lead. Bellatti ultimately recorded the two outs he needed — thanks to a pop out and a strikeout — but only after facing six batters and throwing 25 pitches (only 11 of them strikes).

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The Phillies threw 91 pitches in those two innings. They faced 22 batters and allowed 12 runs against a team with a collective .229 batting average, good for fourth-lowest in MLB.

It wasn’t the first time this season the Phillies have given up a 7-0 lead. On May 5, they were up 7-0 on the Mets heading into the fifth inning at Citi Field, only to crumble after the Mets scored seven runs in the ninth inning. But that Mets team was one of the best in baseball, and that Phillies’ bullpen looked much different than the bullpen that pushed them into postseason contention in June, July, and August.

Monday’s loss was the type of loss that the Phillies haven’t experienced in a while. It was not only crushing, but it came at the hands of a team that the Phillies should have beaten — a team that entered Monday’s game eight games below .500. Part of what has made the Phillies successful over the past few weeks has been an ability to beat those types of teams (which is something they struggled with in previous seasons).

“Frustrating,” said interim manager Rob Thomson. “Frustrating for everybody. We got into the fourth and all of a sudden Ranger lost the plate and they were hitting holes and barrelling him up a little bit. We couldn’t get out of it.

“Then Sanchez went out in the fifth and same thing. He couldn’t find a plate. I don’t know what it was. Yeah, it’s frustrating. But it’s only one loss. We have to come back tomorrow and rebound just like these guys have done all year, really.

“You just have to flush it and forget about it. It happens every once in a while. You just have to turn the page and move on.”

After Arizona, they will play six more series against teams below .500. If anything, Monday’s loss underscored how crucial it will be for them to capitalize on those opportunities.

Monday’s loss was even more deflating because of how the game began. The Phillies made plenty of hard contact off of Diamondbacks starter Madison Bumgarner — of their 11 hits off of him, nine came off the bat at over 100 mph — and knocked in seven runs off of the four-time All-Star. They did so much damage that the Diamondbacks had to pull him after just three and two-thirds innings of work. But after the pitching implosion in the fourth and fifth innings, those seven runs proved not to be enough. Also, the Arizona bullpen no-hit the Phils after Bumgarner was pulled.

“Well, yeah (we feel like we threw that one away),” said Thomson. “But, like I said, it happens. I guess. We really swung the bats well. We were playing good defense early. Sometimes, when guys don’t throw strikes, you get on your heels. And it looks ugly.”

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With Corey Knebel out for the season, and Seranthony Domínguez on the 15-day injured list, the bullpen has looked shakier over the past few weeks. But on Monday night, it looked like a completely different group. It looked like the bullpen that has haunted the Phillies late in games in seasons past — and gave up 57 walks and 49 earned runs in the month of May.

The Phillies’ relief corp allowed seven earned runs and six walks through four and one-third innings pitched on Monday. Thomson ran out of arms, and was forced to use some of his better relievers — like Jose Alvarado and Brad Hand — on Monday night. It wasn’t ideal.

The bullpen’s performance in June and July was why the Phillies were thinking they might see meaningful baseball in October. If they want to end their playoff drought, the bullpen is going to have to get back to that.