Jhoran Duran's Sudden Mortality is Scary for Phillies

Technically, Philadelphia Phillies closer Jhoan Duran hasn't blown a save this month, but he now has a pair of losses to his name after surrendering a ninth-inning home run to Cam Smith in a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Houston Astros on Thursday.

It represents Duran's second loss in three outings, as he also gave up a run and a couple of hits in a loss to the Atlanta Braves earlier in the week.

Duran's numbers on the season still look fantastic, as he owns a 1.82 ERA and 1.03 WHIP while racking up 75 strikeouts over 54.1 innings of work.

There is no doubt, however, that he has looked much more beatable after the All-Star break.

Since then, opposing hitters are batting .267 off of Duran, which is a high number for him. His strikeout rate has dipped from a 14.1 K/9 to 10.7 K/9, and he has allowed more hits (23) than innings pitched (21.2).

You certainly can't expect Duran to be perfect, but you have to wonder if the right-hander is beginning to fatigue down the stretch.

Duran has been the one constant in what has been a shaky Phillies bullpen this season, so if he falters heading into the postseason, it will create a major problem.

The 28-year-old first started showing cracks in July, when he logged a 4.05 ERA across eight outings. He bounced back with a 0.60 ERA over 14 appearances in August, but lately, Duran hasn't quite looked himself.

Perhaps it's just a blip on the radar for the Dominican native, who just made his first All-Star team this year. Or maybe it's a sign of something more serious.

Let's be clear: Philadelphia absolutely needs Duran to be dominant to have a chance of making a deep playoff run. While its bullpen has been better lately, it's still not entirely trustworthy. Duran has long been the one lockdown member, so if he declines with the season waning, it could cause big trouble for the Phillies.

Philadelphia has suddenly gone just 3-5 over its last eight games after a tremendous 15-3 run, and some of the issues that plagued the club earlier in the season — such as inconsistent offense — have reared their ugly heads again.

But the last thing the Phillies need is for Duran to start plummeting with October just around the corner.