Apr 22, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott (5) throws past New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) attempting to complete a double play in the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Kyle Schwarber may not be the fastest baserunner, but that doesn't mean he's not a smart one.
It's a rare occasion when Schwarber makes a bad decision on the basepaths. He often knows when he can take an extra bag and he also is well aware of his speed limitations and will stop himself from being too aggressive.
But even a smart baserunner like Schwarber has their occasional snafu.
Kyle Schwarber with really heads up base running, it’s the little things that win ball games. pic.twitter.com/yJrp961cbN
The problem for the Phillies is Schwarber's Haley's comet moment came in the midst of a time when seemingly one blunder leads to another faux pas. One blooper begets another miscalculation.
And with each compounding on the other, it makes watching the Phillies play baseball right now agonizing.
Schwaber's gaffe, in which he was doubled off of first base on a shallow fly ball to centerfield, was hardly impactful in the Phillies 5-1 loss to the New York Mets on Tuesday. Instead it was the wilted cherry on top of a two-day old sundae, occurring in the eighth inning with the Phillies down four.
The damage was done an inning earlier when, for the second straight appearance, Orion Kerkering couldn't get an out.
Brought into a one-run game to get one out, Kerkering imploded. He allowed a double to Pete Alonso, walked two batters, one intentionally after a wild pitch an a 2-0 count, then gave up a hit to Luis Torrens before finally getting the one out he was asked to get.
This came on the heels of allowing a three-run homer on Sunday to noted masker Javier Sanoja to cough up a two-run lead in the eighth inning of a loss to the Miami Marlins.
Orion Kerkering’s sweeper getting flatter is a problem for this struggling bullpen pic.twitter.com/pIb4FxqjTb
Kerkering is going through it, for sure. He's not generating much swing and miss. He's hanging sliders that are getting barreled. And he's supposed to be one of the three trusted arms in a beleaguered bullpen that is down to two, for now, neither of which is right handed.
But it would be wrong to put it all on Kerkering, as the Phillies stranded the population of a small island on base again before Kerkering let the game get away from them.
Nine guys were left on base in the game, eight in the first six innings.
It's a weird malaise for the Phillies, who do a lot of good things to get runners on base, but once they are there can't seem to get them home.
Nick Castellanos flew out with two runners on in the first inning, and struck out with two more in scoring position in the fifth.
They scored their lone run in the second inning on an RBI single by Johan Rojas, but two more runners were stranded following a couple weak contact ground outs by Bryson Stott and Trea Turner.
Despite his RBI singles, Rojas struck out three times, twice to end innings with runners on base.
J.T. Realmuto, who scored the lone run following a double, killed a potential chance for the Phillies to at least tie the game in the sixth inning after Max Kepler worked an eight-pitch walk off new reliever Huascar Brazoban, by grounding into a double play on the first pitch he saw.
Alec Bohm followed with a single that would likely have tied the game if Realmuto would have simply advanced the runner. But alas...
"We're not getting that big hit enough," Realmuto said. "We're getting a lot of runners on base but we're hitting into too many double plays and not getting enough hits with runners in scoring position."
Schwarber getting doubled off was both an error in judgment in how far off the bag he got, and secondly with not sliding back into first base, which likely would have allowed him to beat Tyrone Taylor's throw back to first base.
"He wasn't really sure if it was going to fall and he got too far off (base)," manager Rob Thomson said.
This series has felt a lot like the 2024 NLDS. Close games that the Mets broke open late after the Phillies were unable to pick up the one or two big hits needed to tie or take a lead.
For his part, Thomson is trying to be the acrobat on the high wire who is has to hold the balancing pole to make sure none of the other acrobats fall.
Asked if he's concerned that the lack of competitive at bats with runners in scoring position is a concern because it's been so prolonged to start the season, he was demure.
"At some point, but I'm not there yet," he said. "I don't know what the number (of games) is when I'll get concerned, but I'll let you know."
Many will equate that quote with Thomson reaching for a fiddle while the Phillies are burning around him, but Thomson has countless times before been proven right to be patient with his team, which is why his confidence remains high.
But this time it just feels different. Something is off. And something needs to change - and not a marginal change - like Weston Wilson returning to the club on Wednesday to replace Kody Clemens, which seems like a thing.
With Mets starting a lefty Wednesday afternoon, expecting Phillies to activate Weston Wilson from the IL to start in left field. Kody Clemens could be the odd man out.
No, something on a bigger scale.
Otherwise, the 2025 Phillies may quickly become a cautionary tale, and games like Tuesday will be the evidence needed to weave that narrative.
