Phillies' lack of starting pitching and bullpen depth exposed in 11-5 loss to Reds

Lochlahn March, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Jul 8, 2026

Published in Baseball

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CINCINNATI — Each time a Reds player clubs a home run at Great American Ball Park, fireworks are released from the smokestacks in the outfield.

By the end of the fourth inning of Wednesday’s 11-5 Phillies loss, it was fair to wonder if Cincinnati’s supply might be running low. Because the Reds blasted four homers in the inning, including three consecutive off lefty Tanner Banks, leading to a lot of pyrotechnics.

Elly De La Cruz, Sal Stewart and JJ Bleday went back-to-back-to-back off poorly located pitches from Banks, who took over for Alan Rangel with one out. Rangel, who was recalled earlier on Wednesday to start the Phillies’ bullpen game, had already given up a leadoff homer from Noelvi Marte to start the inning.

The blowout exposed two glaring weaknesses on the Phillies roster: a lack of depth in starting pitching and left-handed relief. It marked the club’s ninth consecutive loss in games started by the fifth spot of the rotation.

After Banks’ collapse, José Alvarado was charged with four runs in the seventh inning as the Reds piled on two of the Phillies’ three left-handed relievers. Banks and Alvarado left the ballpark on Wednesday dragging ERAs of 7.14 and 7.03, respectively.

After Kyle Backhus was optioned on Tuesday following his own struggles, Tim Mayza is the only other left-handed option in the Phillies’ pen. Mayza pitched the eighth, and sidestepped a double for a scoreless frame.

Mayza, who was a nonroster invitee to spring training earlier this year, lowered his season ERA to 2.81. But the team needs more than just one reliable lefty reliever.

The two big innings doomed the Phillies, even though they had their chances against the young Reds star Chase Burns. The 23-year-old starting pitcher, who is poised to make his first All-Star appearance next week, issued a career-high six walks. But those walks — plus three hits — only translated to three runs, slightly raising Burns’ season ERA to 2.54.

The two youngest position players on the Phillies roster gave their team an early lead in the second inning. Gabriel Rincones Jr., 25, laced a double off the wall in the second inning, and Justin Crawford, 22, used his speed to turn a ball in the right-field corner into an RBI triple. Crawford scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0, sneaking his arm in front of the tag at home plate.

But Stewart tied things up in the third with his first of two homers on the night, a two-run shot off Rangel.

After the Reds teed off on Banks in the fourth inning, he was removed after securing just one out on a bunt. Max Lazar took over and induced a groundout to end the inning.

The offense chipped away a little. The Phillies scored a run on a sacrifice fly from Edmundo Sosa in the fifth and another on a solo homer from J.T. Realmuto in the sixth. But the Reds completely blew the game open against Alvarado.

He struggled to find the zone, issuing consecutive walks to start the sixth. A single, another walk, and a bases-clearing double sank the Phillies into a seven-run hole before Alvarado could end the rally with a strikeout.