The Phillies were in the top half of the league in ERA during April and May of last season. They even led the league in strikeouts in the month of April with 245. From that point on, it’s been downhill for the pitching staff and much-talked about pitching coach Bob McClure, who’s job security has been debated by the blogosphere and fans alike.
The pitching staff finished 29th, 19th, 28th, and 28th in each of the subsequent four months after May 2016. Take a guess where the pitching ranks this year? It’s 28th in the league.