It wasn’t the start the Philadelphia Phillies were looking for this season, losing two of three to the Texas Rangers, and there’s really no way to spin that differently. Early in the season, every team wants to get going right out of the gate.
In a loaded NL East, the Phillies have no choice but to do so if they want to make it any bit easier on themselves throughout the campaign.
Still, inside the clubhouse, there doesn’t seem to be much panic. There’s frustration, sure, but it feels like the Phillies understand what has to change and that it’s early in the season.
“Everybody wants to get off to a good start, but sometimes it doesn’t happen,” Trea Turner said.
“We’ve got to get something going earlier in games, obviously,” manager Rob Thomson said. “I think everybody in the lineup is trying to get off to a good start. They’re maybe a little bit anxious. They’ll settle in.”
That word anxious was interesting to hear from Thompson. With all of these veteran hitters in this lineup, there isn’t much of a reason why any of these guys should be worried in the box. They’ve all had great years, down stretches, and everything in between.
“I don’t think the at-bats have been that bad,” Turner said. “It just feels like we get it going a little late. The first game, we gave Sanchy [Cristopher Sánchez] a lead, and kept rolling from there. The last two games, we’ve just been fighting from behind. So, just get it going a little bit earlier in the game. I just feel like getting back into the rhythm of things and playing every day, it’ll come.”
The issue for the Phillies is that, at times, the offense has gone cold. Whenever the team starts to struggle, even if it’s early in the season, fans rightfully get a tad worried.
The bigger concern would be if this continues on longer than expected. Early-season slow starts can happen if they’re part of bigger issues, but nothing so far suggests that just yet.