Harper on the losing streak: “Our style of play was obviously unacceptable,” originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The first rule of Fight Club is that you don’t talk about Fight Club. And the first rule of baseball team meetings is that no one is allowed to talk about that either.
Well, during what was by any measure the most tense pregame of the season on Wednesday, the Phillies held a team meeting that no one wanted to admit even happened. Was that why they ended their four-game losing streak with a 9-5 victory over the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park? There’s no way of knowing.
But designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, whose grand slam in the fourth inning gave the Phillies the final lead, acknowledged that despite twice being down three runs, the mood was different.
“I think it was more energy (than a feeling of relief). You could feel it in the stadium. That was a cool thing. I think our guys are doing a really good job of getting through everything that’s happened the last few weeks when we weren’t playing our best baseball.
“We’ve got a really good group of guys in this locker room. We’ve got the right guys to get through this and come out stronger. You get some energy. You see (starter Tyler) Phillips struggle. The bullpen comes in and does a great job, makes a lot of zeroes. Hit some key hits. I think we had the energy and we’re going to keep going.”
Before the game, right fielder Nick Castellanos, who innocently claimed he had no knowledge of any such meeting that might have been called, spoke at length about his general opinion on how helpful team meetings can be.
He initially said he agreed with Schwarber, who had said the previous evening that no drastic changes were necessary to get the team out of its crisis.
“Why? Because I believe in the group. I believe in the guys in this clubhouse. Everyone is a professional. And even though we haven’t won many games, it’s not because we suddenly stopped working or didn’t care. Right? Everyone cares. And at the end of the day, that’s all you can ask for. Because I’ve been in clubhouses that didn’t care.
“I’ve been in team meetings that have been great. And I’ve been in team meetings that have sent the team in the opposite direction. So it depends on the person, it depends on the time. There’s no right answer to that question.
“There have been meetings where players have voiced their discontent, and that’s great. Because it had to be made public. But there are also meetings where only one person speaks at the beginning. No one else speaks up. And it’s going terribly. So there’s no point. Some work, some don’t.”
First baseman Bryce Harper also avoided the question of whether a meeting even took place.
“We just have to turn it around,” he said. “The way we played was obviously unacceptable. But we just have to keep going. Everyone here knows what to do and how to do their job. If you don’t come here every day and are ready to do your job, you probably shouldn’t be here. So I think we have to keep taking care of things that we can control. That is playing the game the right way and winning games.”
So the logical assumption is that the overarching message on Wednesday afternoon was to stay the course. That’s probably not what frustrated fans want to hear. But there aren’t any clearly better options at the moment.
ONE CHANGE: Shortstop Trea Turner was not in the starting lineup Wednesday night, the only change made public. He had a batting average of .347 as of July 19, and since then he has posted a batting average of .165 with an OPS of .420 in 21 games.
“I’m just giving him a breather,” Rob Thompson said. “I want him to be off his feet for a day. I want him to spend some more time working on his swing. I want him to just breathe for a minute.”
The manager added that Turner is expected to be back in the lineup on Thursday as the Phillies begin a three-game series against left-handed starters in a row.
UP NEXT: The Nationals return to Citizens Bank Park for a four-game weekend series that closes the home series and sets up another gauntlet against rival teams: At Atlanta (3), at Kansas City (3), the Astros (3) and the Braves (4). Matchups for the Washington series: LHP Mitchell Parker (6-6, 3.83) vs. RHP Zack Wheeler (11-5, 2.78) Thursday at 6:40 p.m.; LHP Patrick Corbin (2-12, 5.98) vs. RHP Aaron Nola (11-6, 3.60) Friday at 6:40 p.m., LHP MacKenzie Gore (7-10, 4.50) vs. LHP Cristopher Sanchez (8-8, 3.63) Saturday at 6:05 p.m. and RHP Jake Irvin (9-10, 3.72) vs. RHP Taijuan Walker (3-4, 5.68) Sunday at 1:35 p.m.
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