The Philadelphia Phillies are breathing a little easier after Jesús Luzardo delivered a gem against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday, silencing doubters following a rough stretch blamed on pitch tipping. In Philadelphia’s 7-2 win, Luzardo struck out 10 batters and allowed just one run over six innings, marking a crucial turnaround for both the pitcher and the team.
Leading up to the game, speculation swirled about whether Luzardo had been unknowingly tipping pitches. Video analysis from @TheWARmonger_ on X (formerly known as Twitter) suggested Luzardo’s glove placement may have exposed his pitch selection when runners were on second base. The post featured dramatic before-and-after footage of his glove positioning and a noticeable change in results.
The WARmonger spotlighted the crucial but frequently ignored problem of pitch tipping in baseball—and made it clear that in 2025, if a pitcher tips their hand, that ball has a good chance of leaving the yard.
“If you’re tipping pitches in 2025, you’re going to get crushed… This is perfectly legal, part of the game.”
The statistical contrast was glaring. Before his last two rough starts, Luzardo held opponents to a .143 average with runners on second. Over those two poor outings, that number spiked to .900, accompanied by a sharp decline in his swing-and-miss rate.
But the fix worked. Luzardo was dominant, flashing all four pitches and punching out 10 batters against a Cubs lineup that entered the day leading MLB in runs per game. After the game, Ty Daubert of Phillies Nation reported Luzardo’s emotional reaction.
Article Continues Below“I don’t think anyone else on the planet wanted it more than I did,” Luzardo said after the huge win.
The Phillies’ official X (formerly Twitter) account summed it up with one simple but sweet line after the lefty was able to bounce back.
“Luzardo was locked in.”
Offensively, Philadelphia also showed signs of revival, tallying five extra-base hits. Kyle Schwarber and Alec Bohm homered, while Nick Castellanos nearly added a third. The outburst was much needed following a slump that saw the team hit just two home runs in five games since Bryce Harper’s injury.
With Luzardo’s rebound performance, the Phillies’ rotation regains a key contributor. The ability to fix a subtle mechanical issue like glove placement and turn it into a dominant start is a reminder of how thin the line is in MLB pitching stats.
In a critical Cubs vs. Phillies matchup, Luzardo didn’t just recover—he delivered when the team needed him most.
