NL Worst of the Night: Philadelphia Phillies’ Kyle Kendrick Is Crushed

Highlighting a bad performance from the previous night in baseball might seem like a harsh way to start the morning. But look at it this way: If you had a rough night or bad day, here’s someone who may have had it worse.

After losing four of the first seven games on their West Coast road trip, the Philadelphia Phillies have spiraled down to last place in the NL East, five games behind the Washington Nationals. The Fightin’s have been anything but, and need a good week to right the ship.

That week didn’t get off to a good start Monday night, thanks to Kyle Kendrick. Starting his first game of the season in relief of the injured Cliff Lee, the Arizona Diamondbacks pounded Kendrick right out of the box.

The D-Backs led off their first inning with two consecutive doubles to take a 1-0 lead. To be fair, Juan Pierre just missed catching Gerardo Parra’s liner to left field, but Aaron Hill just missed hitting a home run. His drive down the left-field line was initially ruled a homer, but was overturned when replay showed the ball hit approximately a foot under the top of the wall.

Kendrick allowed three additional hits after that, along with hitting a batter and walking another. When the smoke cleared, the Phillies were down, 4-0. Had Lyle Overbay not been thrown out (by a mile) at home plate, the D-Backs would’ve put up a five-spot.

You can view the carnage here.

Kendrick lasted two more innings, giving up another three runs, one of which was Justin Upton’s first homer of the season. But a three-inning outing in which he was rocked for seven runs and 11 hits is most certainly not what the Phillies needed from a replacement starting pitcher. Especially when their offense is having trouble producing runs. 

Get well soon, Lee. The Phillies might not be able to afford starting Kendrick many more times.

 

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