PHILADELPHIA -- Jordan Romano’s leg lift had gotten bigger and bigger over the years. But bigger isn’t always better. “It was getting too out of control,” Romano said Wednesday. Romano signed a one-year, $8.5 million contract with the Phils in December. They believed he would return to All-Star form following elbow surgery last year. But Romano had a 15.75 ERA in his first five appearances with Philadelphia. He allowed six hits, seven earned runs, four walks, one home run and one hit batsman and struck out six in four innings. His fastball averaged 94.6 mph, which fluctuated from 91.3 mph to 97.8 mph. It was a concern. It was a concern because the Phillies needed Romano to pitch well in high-leverage situations late in games. They needed him to be one of Rob Thomson’s most trusted right-handed relievers, alongside Orion Kerkering, especially following the offseason departures of Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez. But Romano thinks he is back on track, following a simple mechanical adjustment to his delivery. Simply put, his leg lift isn’t as pronounced. |
“I feel like my delivery now is similar to 2021-22,” he said. “There’s just a cleaner feel to it. It’s a little cleaner, a little better balanced, a little smoother. That’s how it feels to me now. “There was an offseason or a time when I wasn’t feeling good with my delivery. I wanted to try something else. And that [leg lift] felt good for a time. I just felt like it got too, too big and a little bit too, too out of control. As the weeks went on, as the months went on, it just got bigger and bigger. Then it got to a point where it just didn’t feel good at all.” Romano’s leg lift has been noticeably smaller in his past three appearances with the Phillies. He has allowed one hit and struck out one in three scoreless innings in those games. His fastball has averaged 95.4 mph. |
“At the end of the day, with the delivery, with how fast these guys are moving, you don’t have complete control once you get going down the mountain,” Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham said. “You can make a decision where you set up on the rubber. You can make a decision about how you enter your lift, your posture, your position. For him, he’s shown a bunch of different styles of leg lifts that have worked, but when he’s at his best, it’s usually just a little tighter, a little quieter. “A delivery’s job is to go toward the plate. You can overcomplicate it, but you want to be going toward the plate. But the more I’ve got going east-west with my balance, the harder it is to get going to the plate with balance. He’s just quieted it up a little bit.” It has Romano feeling good about what’s to come. “I really do,” he said. “It just feels more comfortable, more clean. So we’re just gonna try to stick with this. Just keep tuning it up as needed, and hopefully get on a roll here.” |
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The hardest pitch thrown by a Phillies left-handed starter since at least 2008 is 98.9 mph. Who threw it? A. Cristopher Sánchez B. Cole Hamels C. Adam Morgan D. Jesús Luzardo |
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Bryce Harper carried a blue bat to the plate in the first inning on Monday night, revealing to his family and the world that the Harpers are having another boy. “Oh, man,” Harper said Tuesday. “That was really cool. Another baby boy. I’m just so blessed to have the family that I do. I’m so grateful for that. Three healthy ones. Hopefully have another healthy one, as well. Gender, I don’t care either way. As long as they’re healthy. As long as they’re strong. I feel like I’m more of a girl dad than a boy dad, but obviously very thankful to welcome a baby boy here soon.” Harper said it was difficult to keep his composure during the at-bat. “I didn’t,” he said, chuckling. In fact, he struck out swinging. “You guys saw,” he said. “But just super excited.” |
ON THIS DATE IN PHILLIES HISTORY |
Mike Schmidt got dropped from third to sixth in the Phillies’ lineup on April 17, 1976, then hit four home runs in an 18-16 victory over the Cubs in 10 innings at Wrigley Field. Schmidt hit four consecutive homers from the fifth inning on, including the game-winner in the 10th. “Smitty never would have done it without me,” said Phillies closer Tug McGraw, who blew a two-run lead in the ninth to send the game to extra innings. |
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D. Luzardo He threw a 98.9 mph fastball on March 29 against the Nationals. |
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