The victory keeps Philadelphia firmly in control of the final National League wild-card spot, holding a one-game lead over the San Diego Padres. With 42 games left in the regular season, every out matters. Manager Don Mattingly entered Monday’s contest knowing his relief corps was running on fumes, making the rookie starter’s performance absolutely critical.
Andrew Painter Delivers Under Pressure
Mattingly’s pregame message to his young right-hander was simple: “We need a good one.” Painter delivered exactly that. Making just his third start since returning from Triple-A, the 23-year-old took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. He struck out six and walked three over 5 1/3 innings, throwing 93 pitches.
Painter exited after the Cardinals finally cracked the scoreboard in the sixth, cutting a 3-0 lead to 3-2. The outing earned him his second big-league win and his first since his March 31 debut. It also marked the first time since May 18 that the Phillies won a game started by someone other than Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo, or Aaron Nola. He ditched his splitter for a circle change, recording three strikeouts with the new pitch while touching 98.1 mph with his four-seam fastball.
Phillies Bullpen Survives on Guts and Grit
With a large chunk of the relief staff unavailable due to recent workload, Alan Rangel stepped up to bridge the gap. He collected eight crucial outs after Painter left the game. “It was exactly how we scripted it as far as we needed eight innings from those two guys,” Mattingly said. “Painter was great and Rangel was really gutsy in that eighth inning.”
Thanks to an RBI double from Kyle Schwarber in the seventh and a two-run double from Edmundo Sosa in the eighth, Rangel carried a 6-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth. St. Louis fought back with five hits and three runs in that frame, but Rangel stranded runners on second and third to preserve the narrow lead.
Mattingly admitted the situation felt helpless, as no one was warming up in the bullpen. “We had one bullet out there, (Jonathan) Bowlan, that we were willing to use,” Mattingly said. “You can use guys, but you’d hurt guys. It was a huge win for us knowing where we were with the ‘pen.”
Bowlan’s Storybook Save
That lone bullet, 29-year-old right-hander Jonathan Bowlan, notched his first major league save with a quick ninth inning. The moment was deeply personal for Bowlan, a Cardinals fan who grew up in the Memphis area. His father, Mark, pitched in the Cardinals’ minor-league system, and a large contingent of family and friends were in the stands.
“It was a very special night,” Bowlan said. “To get my first save with my family here was very special.” He praised the rookie tandem ahead of him, noting that Painter and Rangel “competed their tails off.” Mattingly was so committed to resting his fatigued arms that he admitted he would have used catcher Garrett Stubbs on the mound if the game went to extra innings.
What Happens Next
The Phillies bullpen remains fatigued despite the much-needed rest. Mattingly noted that while a few more arms will be available for Tuesday’s game, it is still not a “full boat.” The team desperately needs Cristopher Sanchez to pitch deep into Tuesday night’s contest to give the relief corps a complete reset.
As for the rotation, Painter’s evolution offers a massive boost. Since returning from Triple-A, he has thrown 15 1/3 innings and allowed just five runs. He is providing exactly what a No. 5 starter needs to do: keeping the team in games. If he continues this trajectory, Philadelphia’s grip on the NL wild-card spot will only tighten as the stretch run intensifies.
— James Okafor, sports desk, AXO News