Luzardo roughed up against Reds, knows there’s ‘no excuse’ for recent struggles originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

You just don’t expect that kind of starting pitching performance. Not the way things have gone this season. And that has nothing to do with anything on the Phillies staff. No, that’s just how good of a season Reds’ lefty Andrew Abbott is having. He didn’t have it Friday, though, at sun-soaked Citizens Bank Park.

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Problem was, Phillies starter Jesus Luzardo had even less of it and when it was all totaled, an expected pitcher’s duel turned into a slugfest that fell the way of the Reds, 9-6.

Abbott entered Friday having allowed more than one earned run in a game just twice, while boasting a 1.79 ERA. The most runs he had allowed in an inning was three, which happened to him just twice this season. So when the Phillies’ righty-heavy lineup jumped on him for three runs in the first, including a two-run homer by Nick Castellanos, something more than America’s birthdays seemed to be on the celebration list for Phillies’ fans.

Whether pitch-tipping was an issue again for Luzardo or the fact that he was facing a very sturdy Reds lineup – or a combination of the two – wasted the Phillies opening inning onslaught. Luzardo gave up one in the second before allowing the first six runners of the third inning to reach base, with five of them scoring. He exited after not recording an out in the frame.

While we have become starting pitching spoiled with the performance of that crew in the month of June, there is legitimacy in having some concerns for the 27-year-old. His pitch count over his last five starts has been very high – 466 pitches in 24.2 innings – and he’ll be close to 100 innings pitched on the season when the team welcomes the All-Star break after next weekend. Luzardo has gone over 100 innings in a season just twice in his seven seasons.

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“My breaking ball wasn’t landing for strikes and basically had to go at the zone with fastballs later on, so I need to find ways to limit that and obviously find the zone a lot more,” said Luzardo. “I feel great. I still feel strong and healthy, which is a positive. But I need to find a way to limit deep counts and the pitch count and try to get out of innings as fast as possible.

“When my breaking ball isn’t landing for strikes that’s a big avenue for me to getting strikes throughout counts. So I think that when that’s not falling it makes it a lot tougher. I just need to find ways to make it work.”

A smattering of boos, quickly drowned out by “appreciate the effort” applause greeted Luzardo when he gave the ball to Thomson and headed to the showers. The boos were no doubt coming from an understandable spoiled bunch, as they watched the Phillies starters combine for a 2.35 ERA in 27 starts during June. It is the 5th-lowest ERA by any Phillies rotation in a full month since 1969.

“I thought he was real good in the first inning,” said Rob Thomson of Luzardo. “In the second he had that long inning and they were laying off his slider a little bit, and his changeup and he just lost command.

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“He shouldn’t be (uncomfortable pitching with runners on base). He’s experienced. He needs to get back in the zone a little bit more. Induce some swings and some contact. I don’t think he’s hunting strikeouts. He has to be a little bit more efficient.”

The Phillies offense did its part, posting 14 hits, including two each by Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto.  With two on and one out in the eighth against righty Tony Santillan, Schwarber hit a laser, no more than 10-feet high, but directly to right right fielder Rece Hinds. After a walk to Harper – the unintentional-intentional kind – loaded the bases, Alec Bohm struck out looking on a 2-2 fastball that ended the threat and sent many home to enjoy their holiday barbecues.

“I still have all the confidence in the world in Luzardo,” Thomson said. “Everybody’s going to have bad outings here and there. I think we’re still fine.”

It helps to look ahead a bit and know that Ranger Suarez and Zack Wheeler will be closing out the series against Cincinnati. In the meantime, getting Luzardo right is a priority.

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“We tinkered a lot with coming out of the stretch with the whole pitch tipping thing,” Luzardo said. “We made a big change in terms of my hands. So it’s just more of getting comfortable. We’re already midseason so there’s no adjustment period, just have to figure it out. But I think out of the stretch, maybe the change caused a little as opposed to my windup being the same that it’s always been. There’s no excuse for it.”