First blown save shouldn’t spoil the magic of the Jhoan Duran experience
PHILADELPHIA — Even the best closers in the game are prone to a rough night. Give the young Washington Nationals team credit. They are responsible for Jhoan Duran’s first blown save as a Phillie.
After falling behind 0-2 and with one out already in the inning, Dylan Crews, the former No. 2 overall pick who struck out 14 times in his first six games against the Phillies this season, fought off a fastball on the outside part of the plate and poked it down the right field line for a double.
Catcher J.T. Realmuto held his glove high in the zone near the middle of the plate.
“The first base hit, I missed the fastball in the middle of the zone,” Duran said. “And (Crews) took the chance.”
Crews later came around to score on a Daylen Lile RBI single to tie the game. Lile, the 22-year-old rookie, took second on the throw to home plate, which bounced off the runner Crews.
“They just put the ball in play,” Realmuto said. “They are a scrappy lineup. They are hard to strike out. And they found holes. You know, he’s obviously a dominant pitcher. They were able to barrel him up more than most. You gotta tip your cap to them.”
Lile later stole third against Duran, then scored the winning run as Realmuto’s throw to third landed in left field. The Nats beat the Phillies, 5-4.
“I probably shouldn’t have thrown the ball, in hindsight,” Realmuto said. “It was a curveball away. I didn’t really get to set my feet and get around the runner. So I did have to throw it over (the batter’s) head. In that situation, it’s tough to do, but I probably should have just eaten it, let them have third base and give Duran the chance to strike the next two guys out.”
It’s only the second time the Phillies have a lost a game this season when leading after eight innings. The other came on a walk-off inside-the-park home run from the Giants’ Patrick Bailey against Jordan Romano on July 8.
The bullpen situation is a lot less bleak than it was back then. Romano, who has a 7.56 ERA, is the last reliever in the bullpen. With Duran entrenched in the ninth and a fresh bullpen after an off day, manager Rob Thomson was able to deploy all three of his southpaw relievers to match up against the lefty-heavy Nationals lineup.
Tanner Banks, José Alvarado and Matt Strahm all allowed the leadoff batter to get on base, but all three kept the Nats off the board.
Maybe more of the blame lies in the Phillies’ inability to do better than just one run against a Nationals bullpen that was without its closer José A. Ferrer. Realmuto homered against the lefty Shinnosuke Ogasawara in the bottom of the seventh to give Philadelphia a 4-3 lead, but another lefty, PJ Poulin, needed only 22 pitches to retire all six batters faced in the eighth and ninth innings to secure the win for Washington.
But everything is relative. It’s hard to be too critical of what the Phillies offense didn’t do on Friday night after scoring a combined 29 runs across three games against the Seattle Mariners. It’s tough to be too down on Duran after his incredible first impression.
One of the biggest compliments a Phillies player could receive from Thomson is a comparison to a Yankee great. Thomson smiled when asked about his confidence in Duran bouncing back after Friday night’s blown save.
“Mariano (Rivera) had 80 of them,” Thomson said. “It’s going to happen every once in a while.”
It’s why the sold-out crowd of nearly 45,000, the same people who rose to their feet as Duran jogged out from the bullpen to the Undertaker’s famous gong sound, cheered as Duran ended the inning with two strikeouts.
It’s nearly impossible to be a popular closer in Philadelphia. Duran’s electric arsenal has earned him respect and trust among a fanbase known for its skepticism. One bad outing won’t change anyone’s mind. Or at least it shouldn’t.
“I’ll be ready for tomorrow,” Duran said.