Just as they did two weeks ago at Citi Field, the Phillies lost the first game of a doubleheader to a lowly opponent.
The Phils lost 10-2 to the Padres Sunday afternoon, a few hours before Game 2 of their split-admission doubleheader.
Game 2 is set to begin at 6:05 p.m. and will pit Vince Velasquez (5-8, 4.39) against Luis Perdomo (1-4, 7.55).
Nick Pivetta got two quick outs in the first inning Sunday before allowing three runs. He settled in from there to retire 13 of the next 15 but encountered more trouble in the sixth.
Pivetta struck out nine over 5⅓ innings but allowed eight hits and six runs (five earned). He is 6-8 with a 4.78 ERA. Since June 1, he has a 6.80 ERA in 10 games.
Ramos hurt
MLB
Edubray Ramos, a key reliever for the Phillies this season, left in the middle of an at-bat with a left patella tendon strain. Ramos tried to shake it off but was forced to exit in the sixth inning.
Ramos has been placed on the 10-day DL, allowing RHP Luis Garcia to be reinstated from the 10-day DL in his place. RHP Yacksel Rios will fill in as the 26th man for Game 2 of the doubleheader.
Losing Ramos for any period of time will hurt the Phillies' bullpen and heighten the need for GM Matt Klentak to go get a reliever ahead of the trade deadline.
Brad Hand and Jeurys Familia are off the board, but there are still some high-quality options on the trade market: Zach Britton, Raisel Iglesias, Felipe Vazquez and Kyle Barraclough. The tier below would include Ryan Tepera, Craig Stammen, Kirby Yates and Jake Diekman.
Ramos has a 1.91 ERA in 39 appearances this season. It was 1.11 prior to the first-half finale in Miami.
Hoskins the only standout
Rhys Hoskins homered (15) in the first inning and doubled (22) in the fifth, scoring both of the Phillies' runs.
Excluding the 37 he hit in the Derby, it was Hoskins' first home run since June 29.
Hoskins is hitting .253/.365/.465 on the season and has not spent a single day all season with an OBP lower than .359.
Four months to forget for Altherr
This has not been a fun season for Aaron Altherr. He came in as a pinch-hitter Sunday with the bases loaded, one out in the seventh inning and the Phillies trailing by five runs. After working a 3-1 count, he swung through two fastballs to strike out.
Altherr is hitting .171 in 248 plate appearances, and he's also grounded into 12 double plays. It's the highest double-play rate of any player in the majors this season. Nobody with fewer than 315 plate appearances has grounded into as many double plays as Altherr.
Hat trick for Kingery
Scott Kingery entered Sunday hitting .240, the highest his batting average has been since April 21, which was 77 games ago.
Kingery struck out in each of his first three plate appearances, twice against starter Tyson Ross. In his second at-bat, Kingery chased a pitch well off the plate for strike three. In his third at-bat, he swung through a high fastball.
The Phillies view Kingery's future as bright, but there's no question they need more offense (and defense) from shortstop.
Davis looks like a keeper
The emergence of Austin Davis has been a pleasant surprise for a Phillies team that needs more lefty relief help.
Davis struck out three Padres in 1⅓ scoreless innings Sunday to lower his ERA to 3.14. He's struck out 20 in 14⅓ innings, and half of his 12 appearances have lasted longer than an inning.
Galvis hurts the Phils again
In his first series at Citizens Bank Park as a visiting player, Freddy Galvis has victimized the Phillies.
Galvis' two-run single in the first inning off Pivetta was the Padres' biggest hit of the day. He went 3 for 5 with those two RBI and a run scored. On Friday, he went 3 for 4 with a double and two RBI. This is the first time in Galvis' career that he's had back-to-back three-hit games.
Galvis' offensive numbers this season are pretty much in line with his career numbers. They're also slightly better than what the Phillies have gotten out of shortstop. It made sense for the Phils to move on, but there's no question they miss his glove (see story).