Phillies Cite Inexplicable Excuse For Offensive Struggles After Cubs Sweep

Philadelphia Phillies Cite ‘Lack Of A Lefty Batting Practice Arm’ As Reason For Losing Streak

As the Phillies continue to mix things up without success, fans are getting tired of platitudes as the issues increasingly appear to stem from roster construction issues. But the Phillies personnel have little choice but to voice a consistent message even as the early season results turn into a significant gap in the standings.

"Baseball's a long season and we got a long way to go," manager Rob Thomson said following Wednesday's loss, per Rogers. “And I think there's a lot of frustration here. But at the same time, these guys know that we got a talented group. Not much is going right for us right now. And at times we're not playing well. So we just got to stay after it and keep fighting. I mean, this is a talented group.”

That message may be falling on more deaf ears than ever as the Phillies continue to lose, but it might also be more palatable to some fans than an excuse recently offered by team hitting coach Kevin Long.

“To Long, the struggles partly come back to the lack of a lefty batting practice arm,” Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported. “The Phillies were without one until a few days ago, when Logan Mathieu joined the team. Long, who would typically throw lefty batting practice, had surgery last August and is still unable to throw. Bullpen coach Cesar Ramos and assistant pitching coach Mark Lowry throw lefty batting practice but can’t during games.”

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Philadelphia Phillies’ Explanation For Struggles Unlikely To Assuage Fans

Putting aside the fact that a big-market franchise like the Phillies should be able to access a left-handed batting practice pitcher without any problem, Long’s explanation for the offensive woes does make sense as the team has a clear issue against southpaws. Excluding openers, the team is 0-9 this season when facing a lefty starter.

But Phillies fans are unlikely to embrace the excuse for the team’s poor start, given the fact that the lineup is virtually the same as it has been for several seasons and that resources like a left-handed pitcher should be readily available amid the losing streak.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com