Phillies news and rumors 8/3: Was Craig Kimbrel tipping pitches in blown save?

Did Craig Kimbrel tip his pitches on Tuesday? (Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire)

Craig Kimbrel has largely been nails for the Phillies this season, but Tuesday was not his day.

At first, it seemed like it literally wouldn’t be his day — as in, he wouldn’t be involved at all. Gregory Soto came out for the save in the ninth inning with the Phillies up by one, prompting questions about Kimbrel’s availability (and health) after not throwing on Monday.

But then, when Soto blew it, the game headed to extras and Brandon Marsh gave the Phillies a two-run lead with a pinch-hit homer, Kimbrel was called on to close out a series win in Miami — and he suffered the same fate as Soto.

Kimbrel allowed a groundout, single, double and a sacrifice fly to knot the game back up at seven apiece, stranding the walk-off run at second base.

But the most interesting part of Kimbrel’s night came in between his curious ninth-inning non-usage and his 10th-inning struggles: He opened the 10th by intentionally balking zombie runner Jazz Chisholm Jr. to third.

With the run unimportant due to the two-run lead, and no force play anyway, it’s a move pitchers will sometimes utilize to erase any possibility of runners relaying signs from second to the hitter.

If that was the reasoning, it turns out it might’ve had some legs.

It also might partially explain why Kimbrel didn’t pitch in the ninth. Perhaps the team noticed Kimbrel had been tipping his pitches in previous outings, the Phillies wanted him to make the mechanical adjustments before throwing him into live action and the game’s extension left them no other choice but to use him. Or, perhaps the Phillies simply wanted the lefty Soto to face Luis Arráez to lead off the ninth — and that worked, but Jorge Soler ultimately punished the decision with his game-tying homer.

There are plenty of reasons the Phillies lost that game, and Kimbrel’s pitch-tipping might not even be one of them. But as Thomson said, it’s certainly worth a look, if there’s even the slimmest of chances that failing to address it could expose the Phillies’ most reliable reliever.

Must-read (or watch) Phillies content

Former Phillie Nation

  • Once a top prospect in the Phillies’ organization, Ben Lively has actually been decent this year for Phillies potential Wild Card competitor Cincinnati Reds — that is, until Tuesday, when he helped out his old club, not his current one, with a four-inning, 13 (!)-run shellacking. He was placed on the injured list the next day.
  • Would you welcome a Jimmy Cigs return?

MORE FROM PHILLIES NATION

  1. Phillies 2023 Walk-Up Songs
  2. Phillies See ‘Star’ Potential In Johan Rojas, Eye Internal Improvements In Lineup
  3. Nick Castellanos, After Hitting Deja Vu Home Run, Reflects Candidly On Struggles At The Plate
  4. Bryce Harper On Bryson Stott: ‘He’s Going To Be A Star’
  5. Jean Segura To Be Released After Trade From Marlins
  6. Phillies Trade For All-Star Pitcher Michael Lorenzen
  7. Former Phillie Noah Syndergaard Traded For Second Consecutive Summer
  8. Why Didn’t Andrew Painter Have Tommy John Surgery In March?
  9. Bryson Stott Keeps Finding Ways To Help The Phillies Win Games
  10. Phillies Nation Top 15 Phillies Prospects: Summer 2023
Share
Nathan Ackerman

Nathan is a writer and podcaster for Phillies Nation. He's a graduate from the University of Southern California and is based in Los Angeles.

Get throwback Phillies styles from Shibe Vintage Sports in Center City Philly