Mick Abel’s strong start to MLB career continues
TORONTO – Mick Abel picked up right where he left off. Unfortunately, his team did not provide enough run support for him to secure his second career victory.
Abel threw 5 1/3 innings, allowing three hits and one earned run in a no-decision against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night. The Phillies lost 2-1 on a walk-off hit by Alejandro Kirk.
He struck out only two, but walked none. Through two big league starts, he has not allowed a free pass.
“He was fantastic,” Rob Thomson said after the game. “I mean, first-pitch strikes, strike-to-ball ratio, curveball was really good. No walks. The poise was outstanding. I thought he was really good.”
He was in cruise control for five innings before losing his command in the sixth. He faced Jays leadoff batter Bo Bichette for a third time. Bichette tripled on a ball in the left-center field gap that was nearly caught by Brandon Marsh.
He did not have the same fastball velocity he had in his MLB debut, but he commanded it well. He averaged 95.3 mph with his four seam, down about 2 mph from his adrenaline charged outing against Pittsburgh. Abel mentioned that he left a few curveballs up, but was proud of how he battled.
“I didn’t have my A-plus stuff today,” Abel said. “Throwing as long as I did and feeling how I did, I did a pretty good job.”
The Phillies had Orion Kerkering warming up at the start of the inning. He was called in to face Vlad Guerrero Jr. with one out and a runner on third, and jammed him for a short flyout that held the runner Bichette. Kerkering struck out the lefty batter Addison Barger to end the inning and lock in a no-decision for Abel.
Abel could get a relatively long look in the Phillies rotation. He is essentially replacing Aaron Nola, who is on the injured list with a right ankle sprain. Nola is expected to be out a bit longer after experiencing some right side tightness. He is shut down from throwing for now, and will likely require multiple minor league rehab outings before returning.
Abel’s emergence has been a significant development for the Phillies. Once Spencer Turnbull went down for the year in June of last year, the team struggled to find a reliable arm to step up as the No. 5 starter. Tyler Phillips had a string of strong starts, but got hit around and lost his spot. Kolby Allard had some good and bad starts. Taijuan Walker moved back and forth from the bullpen. Abel would have been an option if he did not struggle as badly as he did last year.
With Andrew Painter waiting in the wings at Triple-A, the outlook is brighter.
“I’m just trying to go out there and win,” Abel said. “It’s the most important thing. I don’t know if it’s a mentality shift or not, but I felt good.”