Michael Mercado heeds his manager’s advice in first MLB start, and Phillies hold off Cubs for 6-4 win

CHICAGO — Before the Phillies gave the ball to a 25-year-old with one major-league inning on his resumé for his first career start Tuesday night, the manager offered a morsel of advice.

“Throw strikes,” Rob Thomson said, “because the stuff’s good enough.”

Michael Mercado obliged.

And then some.

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For five innings — at hallowed Wrigley Field, no less — Mercado filled the strike zone with fastballs, cutters, and curveballs. He held the Cubs to one run on two hits. And backed by 861 feet of home runs from Trea Turner, the tall, skinny righty notched his first major-league victory, 6-4, before 38,670 patrons on Chicago’s North Side.

“It’s one of those things that you kind of dream about doing at a place so historical,” Mercado said after the Phillies’ third win in four games without injured Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber hiked their division lead back to nine games. “But it was a great team win, too. And I’m just happy that I could contribute.”

If it seemed vaguely familiar, think back 18 years to when another kid from San Diego sparkled for five innings in announcing his arrival with the Phillies. Mercado may not turn out to be the second coming of Cole Hamels, but as maiden starts go, well, he wasn’t any less impressive.

And when Mercado walked into the dugout after painting the outside corner with a cutter for a called third strike to Nico Hoerner to end the fifth inning, he got a round of handshakes for a job well done.

“I thought it was great,” Turner said. “What’s most important is to have that composure and still compete and not get rattled by anything. I thought he did a great job.”

Turner highlighted Mercado’s response to giving up a run on Cody Bellinger’s two-out double in the third inning. He reached back for a 97-mph fastball — his 28th pitch of the inning — to strike out Seiya Suzuki and leave Bellinger on second base.

“In your mind, you’re like, ‘OK, I’ve got to give it my best one here,’ and that was attacking in the zone with what I think is my best pitch,” Mercado said. “Velo’s the velo, but to be able to know that I can reach back and do that when I need it is huge.”

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But Mercado’s best display of poise came in the first inning while the game was still scoreless. (Credit an assist to Nick Castellanos, who saved a run with a catch against the ivy in right field.) Mercado issued a one-out walk, gave up a scalded two-out single to Suzuki, then fell behind in the count to Ian Happ.

Cue Mercado’s inner monologue again: “Let’s throw some strikes here.”

How about three heaters in a row for a strikeout?

“I have a lot of confidence in my fastball,” Mercado said. “I think at that point I was like, ‘OK, throw it in the zone, and see what happens.’”

Maybe it was what Brian Kaplan envisioned early in the season when he advocated for Mercado to move into the rotation in triple A.

When the Phillies acquired Mercado from the Rays in a swap of minor-league pitchers in November, they liked his fastball and were intrigued by his secondary pitches. They worked with him on adding strength to his frame. But most team officials regarded him as a reliever.

There were debates in spring training about Mercado’s optimal role. In mid-April, with touted prospect Mick Abel and other triple-A starters struggling, Kaplan suggested moving Mercado from the bullpen.

“Just the repertoire with the high velocity, the strike-throwing ability, the way he can throw the breaking ball and his secondary pitches, the effectiveness, [Kaplan] thought it might be key for us for depth,” Thomson said. “And thank God he came up with the idea because it’s really worked out well.”

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Mercado posted a 1.98 ERA in 10 triple-A starts. But the Phillies called him up June 23 to pitch out of the bullpen after Spencer Turnbull took injured Taijuan Walker’s spot in the rotation. Mercado made his major-league debut one night later in Detroit. Two days after that, Turnbull strained a muscle behind his right shoulder.

Next up: Mercado, who will remain the No. 5 starter until Walker returns from a blister on his right index finger, likely for the first turn after the All-Star break.

To paraphrase famous Chicagoan Ferris Bueller, life comes at you fast.

“[The Phillies] have just taught me to have a lot of confidence in who I am as a pitcher,” Mercado said. “They haven’t tried to change anything about me. They’re telling me, ‘Hey, you’re really good. Go out and do what you know how to do.’ Them having that kind of confidence in you is so big. I think a lot of people feed off of that.”

It doesn’t hurt either that they staked Mercado to an early lead on Garrett Stubbs’ two-run double in the second inning. Turner homered in the third to open a 3-0 advantage, then went deep over the left-field bleachers and on to Waveland Avenue in the fifth for a 5-1 edge.

Turner notched 16 hits in his first 12 games back from a six-week stint on the injured list. But he had only five extra-base hits, including one homer. And with Harper, Schwarber, and injured J.T. Realmuto missing for at least another week, it’s incumbent upon Turner to help lift the offense.

“It’s that fine line of trying to make an impact but not do too much,” Turner said. “A few days ago, I was trying a little too hard maybe. But now I feel the swing is getting there. It’s getting good pitches to hit and not missing them.”

Mercado’s next start is lined up for Sunday against the Braves. It’s a big spot for the rookie. But Thomson was impressed with Mercado’s calmness coming out of the bullpen last week in Detroit.

Monday night, on the eve of Mercado’s first start, Thomson saw him eating dinner in the team hotel and chatted with him for a few minutes.

“He seemed really relaxed,” Thomson said.

Looked like it, too.

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