Phillies manager Don Mattingly’s ‘not a good plan’ pitcher admission should have fans worried

The Philadelphia Phillies escaped with a 6-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night, but manager Don Mattingly revealed an unsettling detail about his depleted bullpen. Catcher Garrett Stubbs would have pitched if the game reached extra innings.

Andrew Painter gave the Phillies 5 1/3 innings, carrying a no-hit bid into the sixth before allowing two hits and striking out six. Alan Rangel covered the next 2 2/3 frames before Jonathan Bowlan worked a scoreless ninth for his first career save.

The shortage followed a taxing weekend featuring extra-inning games on consecutive days. Jhoan Duran and Orion Kerkering had each pitched four times in five days, while Brooks Raley appeared in both weekend contests.

NBC Sports Philadelphia shared a postgame clip Tuesday on X, formerly Twitter, featuring Mattingly explaining the emergency plan.

“Not a good plan, but a plan.”

"Not a good plan, but a plan." pic.twitter.com/40tl88WLeb

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) August 11, 2026

Philadelphia avoided that scenario, but the circumstances exposed a concern for a postseason contender. Caleb Kilian recently landed on the injured list with an oblique strain, further reducing the number of available arms.

Painter’s performance offered temporary relief. His length allowed Mattingly to navigate the final innings with only Rangel and Bowlan, although St. Louis scored three runs in the eighth and reduced a four-run deficit to one.

The Phillies improved to 64-56 and remained second in the National League East. Their position demands enough dependable relief depth to manage close games without overworking their most trusted pitchers.

Mattingly expects additional relievers to become available Tuesday after receiving rest. However, identifying a position player as the next pitching option illustrated how quickly another long game or injury could again leave Philadelphia without a conventional arm during a demanding late-season stretch.

The post Phillies manager Don Mattingly’s ‘not a good plan’ pitcher admission should have fans worried appeared first on ClutchPoints.