Turner has a big game, Mercado shines in first MLB start Originally published on NBC Sports Philadelphia
CHICAGO — Two weeks ago, Michael Mercado started in Allentown against the Norfolk Tides.
Taijuan Walker was healthy. Spencer Turnbull was healthy. It would have been hard to imagine that Mercado would be making his first major league appearance on the mound at Wrigley Field just two weeks later on Tuesday, in front of the best team in major league baseball.
Still, he appeared in the Phillies’ series opener against the Cubs, the first of what could be five starts before the July 30 trade deadline.
The 25-year-old rookie allowed some hard-hit balls here and there (mostly to Cody Bellinger), but he gave up just two hits and one run over five innings in a 6-4 win, making him a likely candidate for a spot in the Phillies’ starting rotation — and good enough for any team’s fifth starter.
Mercado had a runner on second with two outs in the bottom of the first and was down 2-0 against Ian Happ, but he fought back and struck out Happ.
He threw 28 pitches in the third inning, allowing a one-run double with two outs, but finished the fourth and fifth innings with ease.
“The biggest thing is just keep a cool head, keep competing and don’t get upset,” Trea Turner said.
“That says a little bit about his character and poise,” manager Rob Thomson added. “He threw strikes, his fastball had good velocity and looked like it had good distance. His cutter was really effective and he had a good curveball that kept the other pitches at bay. I thought he was really good.”
Mercado wasn’t even part of the Phillies’ starting pitching depth this season – they acquired him from the Rays in November when they didn’t have room on the 40-man roster, and he began the season as a Triple-A relief pitcher.
But the struggles of starting pitchers like Colby Allard, David Buchanan and Mick Abel gave him an opportunity.
“We had a couple of guys that weren’t pitching well in Triple-A at the start of the season, so (assistant pitching coach) Brian Kaplan actually came up with the idea,” Thompson said. “With the velocity repertoire, the ability to throw strikes and the way he can throw a curveball and the effectiveness of it, he thought this could be a big piece to add depth to our roster. And I’m really glad he came up with the idea, because it’s worked out really well.”
Mercado’s first start ended especially impressively: He retired the final seven batters he faced, surviving the fourth and fifth innings on 21 pitches, before handing the ball over to a relief pitcher who retired nine consecutive batters until Jose Luis allowed runs in all three batters he faced in the ninth inning.
“I was more nervous warming up before the game in both innings,” Mercado said of his first relief appearance and first start. “It feels like my debut. It’s something I’ve always dreamed of doing in such a historic venue. It was great to see the team win, and I’m happy I was able to contribute.”
“I think it’s just because I have confidence in myself and everybody in this clubhouse has confidence in me. We’re going back to what we’ve always done, and for me that’s pitching. It’s big to be able to settle in and play like any other game.”
It helped that the Phillies backed him up early. Garrett Stubbs, who prides himself on the game-planning and strategic elements of his job as a catcher, guided Mercado early and then helped him out with a two-run double down the third base line in the second inning.
Turner hit a solo home run to left-center field in the top of the third inning, then smashed a 94-mph fastball from Hayden Wesneski into center field in the fifth for a two-run homer down Waveland Avenue, 439 feet from the ballpark. Two innings later, Turner was down 1-2 and hit a one-run homer the other way with two outs.
“Absolutely,” Thompson said of the positive effects of early scoring support, “but it can also go the other way. Sometimes you get a lead and it puts even more pressure on a guy not to want to give it up. But he played to his potential. He was great.”
Turner hit a game-winning two-run homer on Sunday and will be even more important over the next week to 10 days as the Phillies await the returns of Bryce Harper (hamstring injury), Kyle Schwarber (groin injury) and J.T. Realmuto (recovering from right meniscus surgery). All three injured Phillies players are on the mend. Each jogged around the field on Tuesday, while Realmuto took receiving and batting practice on the field for the first time since his June 12 surgery, and Harper and Schwarber batted in the indoor cage.
Harper and Schwarber could return as early as July 9. Realmuto may have to wait until after the All-Star break, but Thompson hasn’t ruled him out yet.
“We’ll see,” the Phillies manager said Tuesday afternoon. “He’s healing quickly.”
The Phillies went 11-9 without Realmuto and 3-1 since Harper and Schwarber were injured, and they’ve gotten big contributions from Turner, Nick Castellanos and Stubbs.
Stubbs has treated his offense as a bonus, but he has performed well at the plate since Realmuto’s surgery, batting .275 with one hit in 10 of 11 games played.
The Phillies’ “next guy” mentality in 2024 was more than just lip service.
“A lot of guys are eager to play,” Turner said. “Everybody’s excited about the opportunity to play, and that’s really important. I don’t know if that’s always the case, but I feel like the guys are itching to go, and that’s really nice. When your name is called, that’s your time to prove yourself. And we have a lot of good players, and that combination is what you’re seeing right now.”
The Phillies are 56-29 and have a season-high 27 games with a winning percentage above .500. The Braves lost to the Giants, so the Phillies are back up by nine games for the division lead. This is the first time the two teams have met this weekend since the first three games of the year.
But first, they’ll look to take at least two of three games against the Cubs, who have lost six of seven series and 16 of their past 24. Zack Wheeler will take the mound on Wednesday night, while Christopher Sanchez will start on the afternoon of July 4th.
