A season of lows for Jordan Romano and the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen reached historic depths on Tuesday.
Playing the Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, the Phillies took a 3-1 lead into the ninth inning, thanks to a 2-run Kyle Schwarber home run in the seventh. Romano, who had entered the game with one out in the eighth, came back out hoping to earn the save.
Instead, Romano allowed two of the first three batters to reach base, and then catcher Andrew Bailey, the No. 9 batter in the Giants’ lineup, lined a first-pitch fastball into right-center field, the deepest part of Oracle Park’s quirky outfield. The ball caromed off the top of the wall and ricocheted along the warning track toward center field, rolling past center fielder Brandon Marsh as Bailey circled the bases, giving San Francisco a 4-3 win.
“You could play 100 more years here, and I don’t think a ball hits right there on that spot,” Marsh said.
Jordan Romano has Team’s Highest ERA After 36 Appearances Since 1930
The walk-off inside-the-park home run was the first in Major League Baseball since Tyler Naquin hit one for Cleveland on Aug. 19, 2016. It was also the first hit by a catcher since Bennie Tate of the Washington Senators accomplished the feat on Aug. 11, 1926.
“A lot’s got to go right for me to hit an inside-the-park homer,” Bailey said.
The crazy ending just added to a lot that has gone wrong for Romano in 2025. In 36 appearances covering 32.2 innings, the 32-year-old right-hander has an ERA of 7.44. No Phillies pitcher has carried an ERA this high through his first 36 outings in a season since Claude “Weeping Willie” Willoughby sported the same 7.44 mark in 1930.
“It’s tough, you know,” Romano said. “It’s tough not contributing to wins. Losing games like that. But, yeah, it is baseball sometimes. Definitely being tested a lot this year, for sure.”
Philadelphia’s entire relief corps has endured more than its share of bumpy moments this season, not the least of which was the suspension for 80 games and the postseason of Jose Alvarado for violating Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. For the season, Phillies relievers have combined to post a 4.42 ERA, which is 23rd in the league.
“Get back to work,” Romano said. “There’s no time to sulk.”
Phillies Expected to Address Issues With Jordan Romano, Bullpen at Trade Deadline
But there is time to address the issue. With the trade deadline approaching on July 31, the Phillies are expected to be active, with the bullpen sitting atop their list of areas to fix.
“If the Phillies want to not only make the postseason but also go far, they truly need a lockdown, late-inning, closer-type right-handed reliever,” according to MLB.com.
There will likely be several suitable candidates available, including Cleveland’s Emmanuel Clase, Jhoan Duran of the Twins, and Pittsburgh’s David Bednar. In the meantime, Philadelphia, currently tied with the New York Mets atop the NL East, will continue searching for answers.
“We’re in a good position, but I feel like there’s still better baseball for us to be played, right?” Schwarber said. “We’ve battled a lot of different things throughout. And we’ve fought to get where we’re at. We should keep that fighting mentality.”
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