Jesus Luzardo gave it everything he had. To expect anything more would have been unreasonable.
Luzardo’s brilliance in Game 2 of the NLDS will largely be forgotten when tales are told of Monday night’s excruciating 4-3 loss to the Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park that left them one more defeat away from a somehow-even-earlier postseason exit than any they’ve had since this run began in 2022.
After a rocky first inning in which he battled his nerves and command and emerged unscathed, he mowed through the high-powered
Dodgers lineup, retiring 17 in a row until the 7th inning, when Mookie Betts singled and Freddie Freeman doubled to end his night. Unfortunately, Blake Snell was even better, shutting down the snoozing Phils’ lineup for seven shutout innings.
It came two days after Cristopher Sanchez’ Game 1 start in which he pitched into the 6th inning and retired the first two batters before running into a brick wall and giving up a two-out, two-run double to end his night in the 7th. Still, he left with a 3-2 lead, asking the bullpen to secure the final 10 outs for him.
Their losses in Games 1 and 2 followed the same pattern from last year’s NLDS against the Mets, in which a Phillies starting pitcher generally pitched very well, only to see the bullpen fail to keep a game close or give away a lead, and an offense that failed to participate in any meaningful way. Over the last two seasons, the Phils entered the postseason relying on their starting pitching to be their greatest strength. And, in their last six playoff games, their starters have come through each and every time.
- Game 1 2024 NLDS: Zack Wheeler – 7 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 9 Ks, 4 BBs – Phillies lose 6-2
- Game 2 2024 NLDS: Cristopher Sanchez – 5 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 5 Ks, 1 BB – Phillies win 7-6
- Game 3 2024 NLDS: Aaron Nola – 5 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 8 Ks, 2 BBs – Phillies lose 7-2
- Game 4 2024 NLDS: Ranger Suarez – 4.1 IP, 0 ER, 5 H, 8 Ks, 4 BBs – Phillies lose 4-1
- Game 1 2025 NLDS: Cristopher Sanchez – 5.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 8 Ks, 2 BBs – Phillies lose 5-3
- Game 2 2025 NLDS: Jesus Luzardo – 6 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 5 Ks, 1 BB – Phillies lose 4-3
In those six starts over 33 innings, Phillies starters have an ERA of 2.73, with a 43/14 K/BB ratio, averaging 5.2 innings per outing.
The Phillies are 1-5 in those games.
During a 162-game season, having a great starting rotation is the most important thing. It prevents long losing streaks and saves bullpens. As the New York Mets demonstrated this season, you cannot win with a starting rotation in tatters. And no doubt, one reason the Dodgers are up 2-0 in this series is the outstanding starting pitching by Shohei Ohtani and Blake Snell. Both have smothered this Phils lineup with a pillow.
But for the Dodgers, clutch hitting by key offensive players and their ability to use leftover starters to get important outs in the later innings are proving to be the key to what looks like an NLDS victory.
Think back on the 2007-2011 run. Which teams had the most success? The 2008 Phillies, who won the World Series, featured Brett Myers as their No. 2 starter, Jamie Moyer as their No. 3 and Joe Blanton as the No. 4. The 2011 team, featuring the Super Rotation of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt, couldn’t get out of the NLDS.
Why? In ‘08, the offense scored runs and the bullpen was rock solid, locking down virtually every lead after the 6th inning. In ‘11, the bullpen and the bats went dead.
Sound familiar?
Over the last few seasons, Phils’ relievers have routinely failed to keep games close or hold late leads in the middle innings.
The offensive futility is well documented by this point, yet still shocking.
It doesn’t matter how many shutout innings Luzardo or Sanchez throw. If the offense can’t score more than three runs a game, they’re not going to win. And if the bullpen can’t protect a one-run lead over the final three innings of a postseason game once in a while, they’re not going to win.
No one wants to go into the playoffs with a starting rotation in tatters, but of the three areas — starters, relievers and offense — it’s clearly the third-most important.
For the second year in a row, the Phillies are the living embodiment of that truth, and it appears ready to bite them again.
Please check out an all-new Hittin’ Season podcast, as we recap Game 2 of the NLDS against the Dodgers, discussing Rob Thomson’s controversial bunt decision, the offensive slump and Aaron Nola starting Game 3.
