Andrew Painter Delivers as Phillies Hold Off Cardinals in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS — With the Philadelphia Phillies dealing with a heavily taxed bullpen, manager Don Mattingly needed a strong performance from young starter Andrew Painter.

The rookie right-hander gave his team exactly that.

Painter carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning Monday night before the St. Louis Cardinals rallied late. Philadelphia ultimately held on for a 6-5 victory at Busch Stadium, earning a valuable win while giving several relievers a much-needed break.

Painter Sets the Tone

Making his third start since returning from Triple-A, the 23-year-old Painter looked sharp from the beginning.

He entered the sixth inning without allowing a hit while working with a 3-0 advantage. After recording the first out, however, the Cardinals finally broke through.

A walk was followed by a double and then a two-run single, cutting Philadelphia’s lead to one run. Painter’s night ended after 93 pitches, with Alan Rangel coming in to finish the inning.

Painter finished with six strikeouts and three walks, earning his second major-league victory. It was also his first MLB win since his big-league debut on March 31.

The victory was particularly important for Philadelphia because it marked the first time since May 18 that the Phillies had won a game started by someone other than Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo or Aaron Nola.

Rangel Provides a Huge Relief Effort

With Philadelphia’s bullpen already worn down, Rangel’s performance became just as important as Painter’s.

The right-hander recorded eight outs, allowing the Phillies to avoid using several heavily worked relievers.

Philadelphia extended its lead in the seventh when Kyle Schwarber delivered an RBI double. Edmundo Sosa then added a two-run double in the eighth, giving the Phillies a 6-2 advantage.

But the Cardinals refused to go quietly.

St. Louis collected five hits and scored three runs against Rangel in the bottom of the eighth, bringing the home team within one run. With runners on second and third, Rangel managed to escape the inning without surrendering the lead.

The situation highlighted just how thin the Phillies’ bullpen was that night.

Phillies Had Almost No Bullpen Options

Philadelphia entered the game knowing its relief corps was limited because of recent workloads.

Mattingly said the plan was essentially for Painter and Rangel to cover eight innings between them. Rangel’s ability to stay on the mound proved crucial.

The manager admitted that there was little he could do once Rangel began running into trouble.

Philadelphia had one primary option available: Jonathan Bowlan.

Fortunately for the Phillies, they didn’t need him until the ninth.

Bowlan quickly closed out the game to record his first major-league save.

Special Night for Bowlan

The save carried extra meaning for Bowlan, who grew up supporting the Cardinals in the Memphis area.

A number of his family members and friends were in attendance, making his first MLB save particularly memorable.

Bowlan’s father, Mark, also spent time in the Cardinals’ minor-league organization, adding another personal connection to the occasion.

Bowlan credited Painter and Rangel for battling through difficult circumstances and helping the Phillies secure the victory.

Painter Showing Signs of Progress

Since returning from Triple-A, Painter has provided Philadelphia with exactly what it needs from its fifth starter: stability.

Across his first three starts after the return, he has worked 15⅓ innings while allowing five runs.

His latest outing was another encouraging step.

Painter has also made an adjustment to his pitch selection. Rather than relying on his splitter, he has incorporated a circle changeup, which proved effective against St. Louis.

He recorded three strikeouts with the pitch, while his four-seam fastball reached 98.1 mph.

The combination gives Philadelphia another reason to feel encouraged about the young starter moving forward.

Wild-Card Race Remains Tight

The win also helped Philadelphia maintain its position in the National League postseason race.

The Phillies remain one game ahead of San Diego for the final NL wild-card position, with 42 games remaining in the regular season.

Every victory becomes increasingly important as the schedule moves toward the final stretch.

Bullpen Still Needs Time to Recover

Despite getting a much-needed night of rest, Philadelphia’s bullpen isn’t completely recovered.

Mattingly indicated that several pitchers still needed additional time before being fully available again. The Phillies expect to have more options Tuesday, but the relief corps will not yet be operating at full strength.

That makes the upcoming start from Cristopher Sánchez especially important.

If Sánchez can pitch deep into Tuesday’s game, Philadelphia could give its relievers another opportunity to recover.

For now, however, the Phillies can celebrate a valuable road victory built on the performances of Andrew Painter and Alan Rangel.

Painter provided the dominant start the club desperately needed, Rangel absorbed a huge workload, and Bowlan finished the job.

It wasn’t an easy win—but given the state of Philadelphia’s bullpen, it may have been one of the most important victories of the season.