Kapler: ‘No Doubt’ Arrieta Will Take Phillies Into Postseason

By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor

Right-hander Jake Arrieta's first 10 starts in a Philadelphia Phillies uniform showed signs the former Cy Young Award winner and All-Star merits the three-year, $75 million contract the club awarded him this past offseason.

In May, Arrieta became the first Phillies starter to post a sub-1.00 ERA within a calendar month — 0.90 — since Cliff Lee in August 2011, when he allowed just two runs in 39 2/3 frames for a 0.45 ERA. His 0.90 ERA ranked as the third-best among qualified pitchers, trailing only Jacob deGrom (0.69) and Justin Verlander (0.86).

June was the polar opposite for Arrieta, however, as he posted a MLB sixth-worst 6.66 ERA. Wednesday morning on SportsRadio 94 WIP's Angelo Cataldi And The Morning Team show, Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said that he does not think there is "any one thing in particular" to explain Arrieta's June struggles.

"He's a guy that relies on deception. He's a guy that relies on movement. He steps across his body, crossfires a little bit … his ball sinks across the plate. Sometimes it sinks across the plate in the zone," Kapler said. "He's very dependent on contact. We need to make great plays behind him. His fastball command, when it's on, he's unhittable."

Arrieta allowed just three earned runs in May, as opposed to 19 in June. Kapler citing the Phillies' need to "make great plays behind him" echoes Arrieta's June 3 postgame interview in San Francisco, when he called out Scott Kingery and the team's "bad defensive shifts."

In addition to having an ERA 5.76 points higher, Arrieta allowed six more home runs in 4 1/3 fewer innings than the month prior. On Tuesday against the Yankees, Arrieta allowed six runs — three earned — on nine hits and one walk in five innings pitched.

Despite the nine-year veteran's recent woes, Kapler relayed his confidence in the right-hander heading into July, and as the team gears up to clinch its first postseason appearance in seven years. "I have no doubt in my mind that Jake Arrieta is going to take us into the postseason," Kapler said.

"He's the kind of the guy we can lean on heavily."