Observations from the Phillies’ 2-4 start: Brandon Marsh vs. lefties, starters in control, and more

Rob Thomson said all along that Brandon Marsh will get to prove he can hit left-handed pitching. There was Marsh, though, on the Phillies’ bench last weekend against the Braves’ Max Fried and Chris Sale.

“We kept him off of them because the stuff is really good and we have options,” Thomson said. “But he’s got really good on-base skills and sees the baseball very well, so if you’ve got a lefty that doesn’t have great command, that’d be a guy I’d put him on.”

OK, got it. Not all lefties are created equal. Fried is among the best; Sale, even after a few injury-filled seasons, remains a lefty hitter’s nightmare.

» READ MORE: Time is just what the Phillies’ Brandon Marsh needs to try to break through as an everyday player

Still, here’s a rule of thumb: If you want to know what a manager is really thinking, pay attention to what he does more than what he says. In time, Marsh might work his way into Thomson’s lineup against top lefties. Or maybe not. Definitely not yet.

But what should we make of Thomson’s decision Wednesday night to stick with Marsh with the bases loaded in the sixth inning after the Reds brought in lefty reliever Justin Wilson? Did he consider a pinch-hitter?

“Not at all,” said Thomson.

(An aside: Thomson said he was saving Alec Bohm to hit for Johan Rojas, who is 1-for-15 with an infield hit, four strikeouts, one walk — and no balls hit out of the infield yet.)

“He had two great at-bats prior to that,” Thomson said of Marsh. “I know it was off a righty. But he’s got to get his left-handed reps. Because his at-bats against lefties have actually been pretty good.”

Marsh has eight so far this season, mostly against relievers. He has two hits (vs. the Reds’ Andrew Abbott and Brent Suter) and four strikeouts. Against Wilson, he took a fastball for a strike, laid off a high heater, then popped up a slider to third baseman Jeimer Candelario in foul territory to end a rally in an eventual 4-1 loss.

Last season, Marsh hit .229/.321/.396 in 110 plate appearances against lefties, which actually marked an improvement over 2022 (.188/.226/.260 in 105 plate appearances). But nine of his 22 hits, including two of three homers, came by May 1.

As Marsh’s production against lefties dried up, his opportunities to face them grew more scarce. By the playoffs, Thomson disliked the Marsh-vs.-lefty matchup so much that Cristian Pache started in left field in both wild-card games against the Marlins’ Jesús Luzardo and Braxton Garrett.

Pache is still on the roster. But the Phillies also signed veteran utility man Whit Merrifield for $8 million in February. Merrifield plays all over the field, but barring an injury, more of his starts figure to come in left field than, say, at second base, where Bryson Stott is entrenched.

» READ MORE: Phillies 2024 preview: All aboard for a World Series trophy. Anything less would be a letdown

It’s clear that Marsh will continue to get at-bats against lefties. But how many? And which ones?

The Phillies are scheduled to face two lefty starters in three games in Washington. Will Marsh be in the lineup Friday night against Patrick Corbin, whom he hasn’t faced? How about Sunday against MacKenzie Gore, against whom he’s 0-for-3 with two strikeouts?

As ever, Thomson’s actions will convey his feelings about Marsh as an everyday player.

Other observations after a season-opening homestand in which the Phillies went 2-4 against the Braves and Reds:

If it’s taking time for you to get used to the video board that replaced the out-of-town scoreboard on the right-field wall at Citizens Bank Park, well, you’re not alone.

Nick Castellanos is struggling with it, too.

Castellanos appeared to get turned around on a two-out double by the Reds’ Jake Fraley in the sixth inning Wednesday night. The dimensions of the wall are unchanged, but the video board provides a different feel for the right fielder.

» READ MORE: Phillies’ Nick Castellanos finally ‘at peace’ with playing in the Philadelphia sports fishbowl

“He feels like he’s right on top of the scoreboard and he’s not,” Thomson said. “He’s got a lot more room. So, it may take a little time to figure that out.”

One other change: After Bryce Harper’s head-over-heels flip into the first-base camera well last Saturday, the Phillies added padding to raise the railing. The area near the camera well was nearly a foot shorter than the rest of the railing.

There’s empirical evidence that Kyle Schwarber is moving better on the bases. Did you see him steal second base on Saturday? Or go first-to-third on a single to right field on Sunday?

But there’s also statistical proof that he’s faster.

Schwarber’s average sprint speed through six games was 25.5 feet per second. And although he was still well below league average (27.0), he was faster than last season (25.0).

» READ MORE: Kyle Schwarber had a ‘weird’ 2023 season. Here’s what the Phillies slugger wants to change.

“I feel good,” Schwarber said. “I got in a good routine with the training staff and the strength coaches and put myself in a good position in the offseason to feel pretty good coming into the season. It definitely feels a lot better. I’m happy about it.”

Schwarber didn’t talk about it much last season, but he was clearly dogged by a sore right knee. He appears trimmer this season. It also helps that he’s primarily a designated hitter now and doesn’t have to run around the outfield.

At game time Wednesday night, it was 48 degrees with a 23-mph wind speed. No wonder Zack Wheeler’s first three pitches landed nowhere near the strike zone.

“The first batter was rough,” Wheeler said. “It felt like I had never thrown a baseball before, so that was cool.”

Wheeler walked Jonathan India, the only free pass he has given up in two starts. Spencer Turnbull pitched five walk-free innings Tuesday night. Ranger Suárez and Cristopher Sánchez walked one batter apiece in five-inning starts.

» READ MORE: Phillies’ trust in Cristopher Sánchez endures even with star pitchers still on the market

Looking for a reason for optimism? The Phillies’ starters were solid in the first turn through the rotation.

“The stuff’s there,” said Thomson, who expects the pitch counts for each starter to rise with their next outing. “It’s just a matter of throwing strikes and getting soft contact, early contact. They’ve been able to do that, and get some whiff when they need it. It’s been good. I’ve been really happy with that.”