Smyly Faces

The Phillies picked Drew Smyly off the scrap heap, tinkered with his pitch selection, and poof–instant effective starting pitcher. Smyly threw 7 shutout innings last night, giving up just 4 hits and a walk. The bullpen managed to keep things mostly in check, and Smyly got his first win as a Phillie.

In 2 starts for the Phillies, Smyly has an ERA of 0.69 and a WHIP of 0.85. He has a 12-inning scoreless streak. He's not even remotely like the same guy Texas released after recording an 8.42 ERA. With the Rangers, opponents hit .299 with 19 homers in 51.1 innings. With the Phils, opponents are hitting just .186.

The big question is this–if minor tweaks can fix Drew Smyly, why can't they fix Nick Pivetta, Vince Velasquez, and Zach Eflin? Maybe Smyly is finally healthy after Tommy John surgery and the issues with the other 3 are more between the ears.