The Philadelphia Phillies lost to the Chicago Cubs 11-2 at Citizens Bank Park, with pitcher Jesús Luzardo allowing nine runs on Apr. 15. The defeat marks consecutive games in which the Phillies have given up double-digit runs, contributing to an 8-10 record—their worst start through 18 games since 2023.
This development is significant for a team that recently extended Luzardo’s contract and has high expectations following previous successful seasons. The team’s early struggles raise questions about pitching performance and overall consistency.
Luzardo said after the game, “I’m not tipping. We worked tirelessly to make sure of that.” Despite his efforts, he holds a 7.94 earned run average across four starts this season, with opponents performing much better when runners are on base than when bases are empty. “Just kind of the same stories all year,” Luzardo said. He added that he will continue working from the stretch between starts and plans to review pitch sequencing with coaches.
Manager Rob Thomson addressed the team’s performance by saying, “You’ve got to keep grinding. We’re going through a tough time right now in all phases of the game. I don’t think that’s any secret, but we’re going to get better. We’re a good club.” The Phillies have also struggled defensively and offensively; they committed five errors during their series against the Cubs and made key baserunning mistakes in a recent loss to Arizona.
Bryce Harper commented on maintaining focus throughout the season: “Obviously, we want to win,” Harper said after hitting a solo home run late in Wednesday’s game. “It’s early in the season, but I don’t like that notion because I like to win games in April as much as I like to win games in September.”
The Phillies play their home games at Citizens Bank Park—a stadium they have used since 2004—serving fans locally and nationally according to their official website. As charter members of Major League Baseball’s National League according to their official website, they are overseen by executives including a chief executive officer and general manager according to their official website. The franchise achieved World Series victories in both 1980 and 2008 according to their official website.
Looking ahead, Philadelphia will take Thursday off before starting a three-game series against division-leading Atlanta Braves (12-7). Harper concluded regarding future prospects: “We should expect to play good every day… Just got to keep going.”
