It was not an easy outing for the Phillies’ top prospect Wednesday night in Charlotte. The tall right-hander had to battle his way through four innings and was unable to get through the “six ups” that Rob Thomson had mentioned they were hoping for in an 8-3 loss.
Painter needed 85 pitches to get through four innings, where he allowed four runs, all earned on six hits, while walking a season-high four batters and striking out five. A Brooks Baldwin home run greeted him as the first batter he faced in the ballgame. In the second inning, he allowed the three hardest-hit balls of his night, giving up a triple, a home run, and a double, putting himself and the IronPigs in a 3-0 hole.
Andrew Painter
Painter struggled at times with commanding his arsenal and threw more sliders than fastballs for the first time in a start in Triple-A. His heater did top out at 100 m.p.h., and his curveball looked solid at times. He also generated 13 swings and misses.
Painter is now 2-3 with a 3.90 ERA in nine starts this season between Low-A Clearwater and Triple-A. In 32.1 innings, he has 37 strikeouts to 12 walks, with opponents hitting .240 against him. He will look to bounce back in his next start, which will be back at home in Lehigh Valley, tentatively scheduled for Tuesday or Wednesday.
Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
