Painter prevails after rocky start as Phils rally for first sweep since June

MINNEAPOLIS -- The first time we saw Andrew Painter pitch in a Phillies uniform came against the Twins in a March 1, 2023, Spring Training game in Fort Myers.

It took less than one inning for players on both teams to take notice of the 19-year-old. Painter's first pitch was a 98 mph fastball. A few pitches later, he pumped a 99 mph strike to then-Twins shortstop Carlos Correa that left the three-time All-Star declaring, "This kid’s going to be a star."

Little did anyone know at the time, that day would ultimately change everything for Painter. He felt discomfort in his right elbow the next morning. Three months later, he underwent Tommy John surgery.

Painter's next pitch in a Phillies uniform wouldn't come until exactly three years after that spring debut vs. the Twins.

Once again facing the Twins on Sunday afternoon, the first inning told the story of Painter. This time, though, it was a reminder of just how long his journey has been over the past three and a half years -- and how far the 23-year-old still has to go.

Despite Painter's rocky start, the Phillies overcame a four-run first inning to complete a three-game sweep that spanned two states with a 7-5 victory at Target Field. Alec Bohm's three-run homer in the sixth and Bryan De La Cruz's go-ahead two-run single in the eighth helped push the Phils a game ahead of the D-backs in the NL Wild Card race.

As for Painter, he started the game by walking leadoff hitter Trevor Larnach on four pitches -- none of which were particularly close to the zone. He then appeared to give himself a bit of a reprieve by getting Byron Buxton to ground into a double play. Painter, however, gave up back-to-back line-drive singles before a second walk loaded the bases.

Painter caught a break when Brooks Lee narrowly missed a grand slam by pulling a hanging sweeper just inches foul down the right-field line. When Painter hung a slider in the same spot on the very next pitch, Lee again unloaded on it -- and this one did not hook foul.

“That's one I'm trying to bury,” Painter said of the 1-2 pitch over the heart of the plate. “You've got to be able to execute that. That's got to be a ball down. I’m trying to get him to chase. I just left it up.”

Tempers flared moments later when Painter began the next at-bat by plunking Luke Keaschall on the helmet. The Twins right fielder had some words for Painter and catcher J.T. Realmuto, and the umpires huddled for a lengthy meeting before issuing warnings to both teams.

Cooler heads ultimately prevailed, and Painter managed to settle in following the dust-up. He went on to pitch five innings with the only other blemish coming on a Kody Clemens solo homer in the third.

“First inning was super tough,” Painter said. “Not commanding the ball, not executing pitches. Put the team in a really tough spot going down 4-0 in the first inning.”

Whereas Painter had a tendency to let things spiral earlier this season, he's returned from his June demotion with a newfound poise. That was evident in his first start back against the O’s, when he gave up a leadoff double followed by a home run -- and then nothing else.

It showed up again on Sunday. Painter went from being unable to command anything to keeping the Twins in check for the next four innings.

“There's still a lot of room to grow and try to minimize that, but you get punched in the mouth, you’ve got to go out there and get between five or six [innings],” Painter said. “You don't really have a choice. You have to settle in.”

But that wasn’t the case previously. Painter pitched fewer than five innings in six of his 14 outings prior to his demotion. He lasted just two innings on June 17 -- the day he was sent down.

That, in itself, is a sign of growth, no?

“For me, it is,” interim manager Don Mattingly said. “Just keep going for the club. In that kind of game, when you're down four, it kind of puts you in a bind, right? … But he's got to keep us in the game and give us chances to score, and then finally, we break through.”

Like Painter, this Phillies team as a whole has shown an ability recently to get up off the mat that it lacked for much of the season. The late rally gave Philadelphia its first sweep since June 2-4 against the Padres.

It was far from perfect, but the Phillies have now won two straight Painter outings after winning only one of his previous 14.