Phillies trying to figure out how to win games when offense doesn't carry them

PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies know what they want to be in 2022.

Nearly one-quarter of the way through the MLB season, Joe Girardi's offensive-minded team wins when it hits. But when the bats don't produce, a shaky bullpen and unreliable defense tend to result in defeats.

Wednesday night's 3-0 home win over the Padres, followed by Thursday's 2-0 loss, moved the Phils to 18-20 with the Dodgers coming to town this weekend.

The relief corps owns the fourth-worst ERA (4.35) in the majors, with the team's 22 errors ranking as the 10th-most in baseball.

The offensive numbers look very good: second-highest batting average (.251) in MLB, as well as the sixth-most home runs (45), eighth-most runs scored (175) and fifth-most stolen bases (25).

But it tends to be feast or famine for the Phillies. They averaged 7.1 runs on the seven-game road trip in which they took two of three from the Mariners and three of four from the mighty Dodgers.

Upon returning to Citizens Bank Park to begin a six-game homestand, the Phils managed just five hits in Tuesday's shutout loss to the Padres.

"We haven't won a 1-0 game yet," Girardi said Wednesday. "I think we're capable of it, but we just haven't done it."

They also don't have a 2-1 or 2-0 victory on their resume this season, either. Wednesday's final was just the second time the Phils have won while scoring as few as three runs (the other was 3-2 over the Mets on May 8).

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"It's great to see," Girardi said.

The Phillies are 11-4 when they score five runs or more and just 7-16 with fewer than five runs.

"(We're going to have to win games like this), especially within the (National League East)," said first baseman Rhys Hoskins, who had a solo home run Wednesday. "I think we have the pitching to go toe to toe with anybody. They picked us up tonight. We didn't score the way we know we can."

Seven shutout innings by starting pitcher Zack Wheeler and perfect innings of relief by Jose Alvarado and closer Corey Knebel did the trick Wednesday.

The difference in wins and losses is striking. The Phillies are averaging 6.9 runs in wins this year and just 2.6 in losses. They've been shut out five times.

The solution is simple, according to a smiling Girardi. "Just score a lot of runs," he said. "It's really easy." He understands there's more to it than that.

The absence of Harper, the regular right fielder, from the lineup for the last four games certainly hasn't helped matters.

Harper received a PRP shot Sunday to address a small tear in his right elbow. The elbow is sore, which explains why he missed his fourth straight game Thursday after also sitting out Sunday's heartbreaking loss to the Dodgers and Tuesday's 3-0 whitewashing by San Diego.

"We miss Harp," Girardi said. "There's no doubt about it. We need him back."

Doctors recommended Harper not throw for six weeks following Sunday's PRP shot, then he'll need at least two weeks to build arm strength, so he probably won't be able to play right field before the end of July.

That means high-priced free agent acquisitions Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos will regularly be in left and right field in order to keep their bats in the lineup.

Castellanos is having a solid season, but Schwarber has been struggling at the plate. He struck out all four times Tuesday, then went 1 for 2 with a walk and a strikeout Wednesday and 1 for 4 with a strikeout Thursday to bring his average to .189.

"Well, we know that we have to get him going," Girardi said. "We had him going for a while and he's kind of hit a skid again. He's just too far out front right now."

Hard-hit balls had been a rarity of late from catcher J.T. Realmuto until he lined a single up the middle to drive in the Phillies' first run Wednesday. He finished 1 for 4 Wednesday, 0 for 4 Thursday and is hitting .230.

"He started to struggle a little bit with some of the new stuff he was doing and I think he went back to his old way (with a high leg kick)," Girardi said pregame. "We just got to get him going, too."

That's especially important with so much riding on the Phils' ability to score runs.

Tom Moore: tmoore@couriertimes; @TomMoorePhilly

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Phillies need to figure out how to win when the offense doesn't carry them