Phillies Jesus Luzardo rebounds in the wake of Rob Thomson firing
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Phillies Jesus Luzardo rebounds in the wake of Rob Thomson firing originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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After the Philadelphia Phillies decided to let go of manager Rob Thomson on Tuesday, the Phillies blanked the San Francisco Giants (7-0) to give interim manager Don Mattingly his first win.
Mattingly, 65, was hired as the Phillies' bench coach in the offseason and told reporters a simple message, “It’s all coming back to what?” Mattingly said to MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. “Better baseball.”
The Phillies did just that, having a clean game with no errors or mistakes in the field. The Phillies also received a masterful pitching performance from left-hander Jesus Luzardo, who had struggled until facing the Giants.
Jesus Luzardo becomes the first Philadelphia Phillie to throw seven innings this season
Until Tuesday night, no Phillies starter had completed the seventh inning until Luzardo. The 28-year-old allowed two hits, no runs, walked none, and struck out eight across seven masterful innings. Luzardo lowered his season ERA from 6.92 to 5.50 after this start.
Luzardo had his first quality start since April 4 against the Colorado Rockies, where he struck out 11 in 6.2 innings. According to Luzardo, right-hander Zack Wheeler approached him about the stat and said “We [the pitching staff] gotta pick it up.”
Having played for Mattingly while with the Miami Marlins, Luzardo called him a great manager. Mattingly spent seven seasons in Miami (2016-2022) and went 443-587.
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“Donny [Mattingly] is a great manager,” Luzardo said to NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I had a great time with him in Miami, he's been a player for a long time, and he knows the life and the struggles that we go through. So, he sees that aspect as well and is a great communicator.”
Firing the manager isn't a new thing for the Phillies, as Thomson took over for Joe Girardi in 2022 after a 22-29 start.
With Mattingly now at the helm and providing the “new voice” that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski wanted, time will tell if the Phillies can turn things around. The Phillies and the New York Mets are tied for the worst teams in Major League Baseball (10-19), despite both teams winning on Tuesday. The Mets shut out the Washington Nationals 8-0.
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