Latest news with #Luzardo
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Phillies' Jesus Luzardo is Confident in Ability to Flush 'Career Worst' Outing Behind Him
Phillies' Jesus Luzardo is Confident in Ability to Flush 'Career Worst' Outing Behind Him originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jesus Luzardo was acquired in the offseason in a trade with the Miami Marlins. Since joining the Phillies, Luzardo's been nothing short of incredible. Advertisement However, his most recent outing was a far cry from his usual dominance. Against the Milwaukee Brewers, Luzardo went just 3.1 innings, allowing 12 earned runs and ballooning his ERA to 3.58. After the game of Phillies Postgame Live on NBC Sports Philadelphia, Luzardo was asked about his outing and what he'd do going forward. In response, Luzardo shared a strong message, expressing confidence in his ability going forward. "That's what they pay us for," Luzardo said. "Being able to just flush outings like that. Obviously, it's frustrating, and an outing like today, I don't know the numbers, but I could probably tell you that's my career worst." While Luzardo has had some tough outings in his career, his performance against the Brewers was the worst of his career by far. No other outing had Luzardo at double-digit earned runs, let alone 12. Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo (44) reacts after being removed from the game against the Milwaukee Brewers in the fourth inning at Citizens Bank Ross-Imagn Images His strong message, being able to flush this disastrous outing behind him, is a great sign going forward for the Phillies and Luzardo. Having a dynamic lefty like Luzardo in the rotation is great, and while he was off to a 2.15 ERA start through 11 games, Luzardo is still in great shape. Advertisement That was another reason why this start was so frustrating for Luzardo. "I think that's the most frustrating part, how good I felt," Luzardo explained. "Today, I think was probably the best I felt in a month and a half. Just physically, my arm felt like a whip, I was athletic as I have been all year." Despite the great condition of Luzardo, he struggled right from the beginning. It was not only the worst game of the 2025 Phillies season, but the worst outing for Luzardo in his 7-year MLB career. Even despite his disastrous outing, Luzardo is still having a great season statistically. While not the dominance he showed early, Luzardo still has 1.8 WAR, 5 wins, 1 loss, and 81 strikeouts compared to 22 walks. Going forward, Luzardo needs to put this outing behind him to get back to himself before the Brewers outing. His comments postgame exude confidence, and will hopefully carry over into his next start. Advertisement Related: Phillies Get Good News On Bryce Harper Return From Injury Related: Phillies' Rob Thomson Defends Questionable Decision Amid Luzardo's Outing This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Phillies' Rob Thomson Defends Decision to Leave Jesus Luzardo in Amid Poor Outing
Phillies' Rob Thomson Defends Decision to Leave Jesus Luzardo in Amid Poor Outing originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Philadelphia Phillies suffered an embarrassing defeat, losing 17 to 7 to the Milwaukee Brewers in the team's worst loss of the year. Phillies manager Rob Thomson was in the center of debate, as he left starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo in for debatably longer than he should've. Advertisement With Thomson not going to the bullpen, Luzardo's ERA soared to 3.58 after allowing 12 earned runs in 3.1 innings. Before his disastrous outing against the Brewers, Luzardo had a 2.15 ERA across 67 innings. After Luzardo's rough outing, Thomson was asked whether he should've gone to the bullpen. After the game, Thomson defended himself amid his decision to keep Luzardo in the game despite getting shelled. During Phillies Postgame Live on NBC Sports Philadelphia, Thomson explained his decision to keep Luzardo in. "Statistics matter," Thomson said. "You want your guys to have great years, but at some point, too, you've got to battle through things, and you've got to do it for your teammates. You've got to strike that balance." Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson (59) is ejected from the game against the Milwaukee Brewers in the fourth inning at Citizens Bank Ross-Imagn Images Thomson's decision to keep Luzardo out on the mound amid his worst outing was a questionable one. It might've taken Luzardo out of the Cy Young race, and could jeopardize his All-Star candidacy. Advertisement While those individual accolades may not matter to Thomson or even Luzardo, they do play a role in the Phillies fans' minds. Having a player earn such an award is a great source of pride for the fanbase. Bryce Harper winning the MVP in 2021 was a big deal for the Phillies and their fans. Luzardo was off to an incredible start to 2025, and he was in Cy Young discussions along with fellow Phillies ace Zack Wheeler. But this outing likely takes Luzardo out of that race. As other starters around the league have put together great seasons, Luzardo's blow-up outing puts him behind in the Cy Young and All-Star rankings. While Thomson's decision and explanation are best for the team, the fans don't look at it the same way. Having Luzardo knocked out of the Cy Young race after such a strong start, just to save the bullpen in a game in late May, isn't a fair trade-off. Advertisement But, Luzardo isn't completely out of things, and if he can have an incredible rest of the year, securing individual accolades is far from off the table. This outing, however, is a tough blow in what was shaping up to be an incredible Phillies debut season. Related: Phillies Call Up Minor-League Reliever, DFA Struggling Veteran Reliever Related: Would José Alvarado Be Useful in Phillies Trade Discussions? This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
5 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Phillies' Jesús Luzardo felt at his best. Then he gave up 12 runs to the Brewers
Before rain and runs and raucous boos drove fans out of Citizens Bank Park on Saturday, Jesús Luzardo took the mound around 4 p.m. The Phillies lefty threw to catcher J.T. Realmuto as Mobb Deep's 'Survival of the Fittest' played, the crowd filing in and wind whipping around them. Luzardo felt good. No, not just good: 'My arm felt like a whip,' he said. It was the best he'd felt in a month and a half. Advertisement Then came a second-pitch single by Jackson Chourio, who soon stole second. A walk. A Christian Yelich line drive to left-field to score Chourio. A three-run homer that turned Philadelphia's beloved Rhys Hoskins into a booed enemy as he rounded the bases. Just like that, it was 4-0 Brewers with no outs in the first. 'I felt as athletic as I have all year,' Luzardo said. 'I think that's when I'm at my best: When I feel athletic, and that's why it was frustrating, how it went today.' Four earned runs became 12 for Luzardo during a disastrous fourth inning that featured a balk, eight runs and seven hits in 12 plate appearances as the Phillies lost 17-7, their biggest defeat of the season. The outing was not only the worst of Luzardo's seven-season career, in which he's been a hard-working strike-thrower when healthy, but also historically bad. Most Phillies fans weren't alive the last time a Phillies pitcher let up that many runs: June 28, 1947, when Al Jurisich allowed 14 in eight innings against the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds. Luzardo entered Saturday as one of the backbones of the Phillies' rotation. He'd allowed 16 earned runs and struck out 77 in 67 innings. His ERA sat at 2.15, rising to 3.58 after the loss. His chase, strikeout and whiff rate all hover above the 80th percentile in the league. Sure, he was coming off a relatively rough outing in West Sacramento: allowing a first-pitch homer to the A's Jacob Wilson, plus another two runs and eight more hits. But that's how reliable Luzardo had been since joining the Phillies: 'relatively rough' meant stumbling in the first and recovering to pitch seven innings. On Saturday, all bets were off. Luzardo didn't execute his pitches. A pick-off move he'd used since arriving in the majors was ruled a balk, prompting lots of arguing with the umpires — 'They did a great job not throwing me out,' Luzardo said — and manager Rob Thomson's ejection. The pitches that had worked for him, particularly his sweeper as an 'out' pitch against lefties, failed. He's drawn 62 swinging strikes off the pitch — 46 of those against lefties. His sweeper has a putaway percentage of 35.1, highest of all his pitches. Realmuto chalked up part of it to Milwaukee's lefty hitters just being good against the pitch; they have 16 base hits off sweepers this season, whereas the Phillies have seven. Advertisement But part of it was execution. And some of it was just bad baseball. Take a 86.9 mph sweeper to lefty Sal Frelick in the fourth. It left the bat at 78.4 mph, headed toward the outfield. No one called for the ball as right fielder Nick Castellanos and center fielder Brandon Marsh charged toward it. It should have been Marsh's ball, but Castellanos extended his arm to catch it. It ricocheted off the heel of his glove. Another base runner aboard with no outs. Next came a bunt bouncing in the infield that Luzardo sent past Alec Bohm at first base. He received an error on the throw, and the scoreboard turned to 5-0 as Frelick crossed home plate. That was just the beginning, really. It was much of the same from the first: The Brewers yanking poorly located fastballs — including another Hoskins three-run homer — and pitches well off the plate. Luzardo was pulled after making just one out in the fourth. 'The way he grinds, the way he battles and competes, you're thinking he's going to get out of it,' Thomson said. He did not, which was uncharacteristic. But so had been Luzardo's season to this point, the picture of durability after an injury-plagued 2024. The lefty reached 70 1/3 innings Saturday. It's more than he pitched in 2024 (66 2/3) and already ranks fourth among his seven seasons in the big leagues. But Luzardo has consistently said he feels comfortable. Nothing felt right about last year from the get-go. This year, he's felt healthy. Workload, he and Thomson said, played no factor in those nightmare innings. 'Velocity is still there,' Thomson said. 'I think the stuff is still there. There's some days where you just don't execute as well as others.' Among the Phillies' bigger problems Saturday was Luzardo's poor execution taxing an already taxed bullpen. Three relievers plus position player Weston Wilson let up a combined 11 hits in 5 2/3 innings. José Ruiz gave up five runs. Getting through the summer will be tough with the bullpen as constructed and with José Alvarado suspended 80 games for using a performance-enhancing drug. The situation is only made worse on occasions when the starters slip. Advertisement Slipping, still, remains rare for Luzardo. On Saturday, he did not have the command, but he still had the moxie that makes a starting pitcher a starter. The balk call by third-base umpire Chad Fairchild sent Luzardo, hands flaring, mouth running with the umpires before Thomson stepped in. They argued. Meanwhile, second baseman Bryson Stott was checked out by a trainer after being struck by the base runner. It was that kind of inning, that kind of day in Philadelphia.
Newsweek
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Phillies Make Jesus Luzardo Decision Amid Injury Concerns
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Even after a disappointing playoff exit last year, the Philadelphia Phillies opted to run it back this season with largely the same roster. However, the team did make one truly significant offseason move, swinging a blockbuster trade to add Miami Marlins starter Jesus Luzardo to an already strong rotation. In six big-league seasons before the trade, Luzardo had shown great stuff on the mound but had struggled to stay healthy. He made only 12 starts last year as he was plagued with back and elbow problems. As they brought him onto the team, the Phillies clearly felt they would be able to manage Luzardo's injuries. And so far they have been rewarded for their faith. Luzardo has been lights-out in his first 10 starts, logging a 1.95 ERA with 67 strikeouts across 60 total innings. ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 10: Jesus Luzardo #44 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches in the sixth inning prior to a weather delay against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on April 10, 2025 in Atlanta,... ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 10: Jesus Luzardo #44 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches in the sixth inning prior to a weather delay against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on April 10, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)But as concerns about his injury history persist, the Phillies have made a decision to keep his workload as light as they can by giving him an extra day off between starts. "The next start is going to be on regular rest with a day off following," manager Rob Thomson announced after Luzardo went six innings and 105 pitches against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic. "Maybe it's time to pull back a little bit, depending on what it looks like." The Phillies have opted to schedule eight of Luzardo's starts after at least one day of extra rest and the team wants to stick with that plan as much as they can. Thomson said he'd also be watching Luzardo's pitch counts and innings totals closely. "Oh, very close," Thomson added. At some point, given how much success he's having, the tight reins might start to bother Luzardo. But as the Phillies look to carry a deep starting rotation all the way to the World Series this year, keeping him healthy seems to be the priority. More MLB: Yankees Re-Thinking Trade Deadline Thanks to Will Warren: Is He 'Really That Good?'
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Phillies' Jesus Luzardo To Be First Pitcher Named ‘Jesus' to Pitch on Easter
MLB has been around for well over 100 years, and with such a storied history, it is rare for a feat to occur for the first time in history. But on April 20th, 2025, Philadelphia Phillies starter Jesus Luzardo is set to make MLB history. Luzardo is scheduled to face his former team, the Miami Marlins, during the third game of the first Phillies-Marlins series of the season. That game is scheduled for April 20th, which also happens to be Easter Sunday. Advertisement It's a coincidence that Jesus Luzardo is expected to start on Easter Sunday, but even Phillies beat reporter Matt Gelb of The Athletic noticed the coincidence. The coincidence of 'Jesus' starting on Easter sparked intrigue about whether there was any other pitcher named 'Jesus' who got a chance to pitch on Easter. According to research done through the database, of MLB players with 'Jesus' in their name, only 13 are pitchers. Of those 13, none have pitched on Easter. When Jesus Luzardo throws his first pitch during the Phillies-Marlins game on Easter Sunday, he will be the first and only player named 'Jesus' to pitch on Easter. Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo (44) pitches in the rain against the Atlanta Braves in the sixth inning at Truist Davis-Imagn Images Major League Baseball has been around for nearly two centuries, but on Easter Sunday in 2025, Luzardo will do something no other player has ever done before. Luzardo getting the chance to pitch on Easter is already wild enough, but it gets even stranger as one of the 12 other pitchers named 'Jesus' is on the Marlins, and could also pitch on Easter Sunday. Advertisement Marlins right-handed reliever Jesus Tinoco has a chance to pitch on Easter Sunday, and could be the second ever player named 'Jesus' to pitch on Easter. It would be a major coincidence that on the same day that a player named 'Jesus' pitches on Easter for the first time, another pitcher during the same game named 'Jesus' pitches on Easter. With Luzardo's success since joining the Phillies, he is in a prime position to rise to the occasion and put together a great performance against his former team. The Phillies acquired Luzardo from the Marlins in the offseason for two prospects. Since joining the Phillies, Luzardo has been great. He has a 2.31 ERA, two wins, no losses, 29 strikeouts to just seven walks in 23 and one-third innings pitched. Luzardo will face his former team for the first time, while making MLB history as the first pitcher named 'Jesus' to pitch on Easter. Related: Former Phillies Outfielder Co-Owns a Kentucky Derby Horse Related: Phillies' Aaron Nola Comments on Terrible Start, 'It's Unacceptable'
