John Kruk delivers a harsh reality check to the Phillies after their brutal loss to the Yankees
The Phillies dropped yet another series opener to the Yankees.
The Philadelphia Phillies endured a 14-4 defeat against the New York Yankees in the opening game of a three-game series, marking the fifth consecutive series in which Philadelphia lost the first game. The Phillies have been struggling recently, but former player and broadcaster John Kruk advised against panicking at this point.
“Yeah, it’s unusual for them. They usually win the first game of the series and then progress from there, but it’s frustrating. I understand,” John Kruk said on NBC Sports Philadelphia. “A lot of fans are frustrated. They’re calling for team meetings and stressing that the team needs to be more disciplined with these players.”
“Everything seems fine when you’re winning, but as soon as you start losing, suddenly changes need to be made. They just need to get back to playing baseball! Right now, they’re not playing winning baseball—recently, the defense has been a problem, some players are struggling offensively, and the starting pitching isn’t as strong as it was earlier in the season.
“But you know what? They still have the best record in baseball. So there’s no need to panic. You have to believe that they’ll figure things out soon and return to their winning form.”
As Kruk mentioned, the Phillies still hold the best record in MLB, and there’s ample time to correct their course since they’re 8.5 games ahead of the Atlanta Braves for first place in the National League East. There’s also still time to make additional moves before Tuesday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline.
What can the Phillies do to address their issues?
While the Phillies could benefit from additional help at the trade deadline, the key to turning around their losing streak is for their top players to perform better and return to their usual standards.
