Connor Overton had another tough start as the Reds fell to the Phillies

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Connor Overton’s shot at sticking in MLB is based on his ability to throw strikes consistently. His fastball sits around 91 mph. He doesn’t have the most devastating curveball or knee buckling changeup.

When Overton has had success with the Reds, he has gotten ahead in counts, pitched deep into games and delivered quality starts. He still hasn’t done that yet in 2023.

In his third start of the year, Overton’s command was his downfall in a 8-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at Great American Ball Park on Friday night in front of a crowd of 17,610. Overton was pulled after the third inning following a repeated cycle of falling behind in counts, leaving a fastball over the middle of the plate and watching another extra-base hit drop in the outfield.

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Overton allowed five runs in three innings, and he left the mound with an 11.45 ERA for the season. He hasn’t pitched more than four innings in any of his appearances this year.

Overton allowed an RBI double in the first inning and a home run to the Phillies’ No. 9 hitter in the second inning, but the start really unraveled in the third. Following a walk to Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, Overton fell behind in the count against right fielder Nick Castellanos. Overton then threw a fastball right down the middle, which Castellanos crushed for a double.

The next batter, Phillies center fielder Brandon Marsh, got ahead in the count 1-0 by watching a slider that sailed outside the strike zone. He later tripled on a changeup that Overton threw right down the middle. Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto followed with an RBI sacrifice fly, and the Phillies took a 5-0 lead.

Takeaways from Reds vs. Phillies

1. Overton’s success comes when he effectively mixes the seven pitches he throws, but he relied on his fastball more than usual on Friday. Since Overton was falling behind in so many counts, he needed a pitch he could rely on to land in the strike zone. Overton also walked four batters, which is uncharacteristic for him.

2. Phillies starting pitcher Taijuan Walker, a former All-Star, fared much better on Friday against the Reds than he did against them last Sunday. Walker only lasted 4 ⅔ innings in his most recent outing because the Reds worked long at-bats and fouled off a lot of pitches. Walker got a lot more soft contact on Friday by throwing a great splitter that got Reds’ hitters to roll over the top of the ball. Walker allowed one run on four hits across six innings.

3. The Reds called up Kevin Herget from Triple-A because they needed a long reliever, and he has provided great coverage when the Reds have needed innings. The 32-year-old journeyman pitched 2 ⅔ scoreless innings against the Phillies while allowing just two hits, and Herget hasn’t allowed a run across his three appearances this year with the Reds.

Injury report

Reds reliever Tony Santillan suffered a setback on his Triple-A rehab assignment, and he’ll now miss time with right knee discomfort. Santillan missed most of last season with a back injury.

Stat of the day

Reds third baseman Spencer Steer has reached base multiple times in four of his last five games. He also stole his first base of the year.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Reds fall to Phillies as Connor Overton scuffles on the mound