Phil Hughes is no longer on an October roller-coaster ride through hell. He’s now entered the zero gravity free fall.
The struggling right-hander last night walked the only two batters he faced and watched both of them score, providing the Phillies with eighth-inning insurance in their 6-1 victory over the Yankees in Game 1 of the World Series.
Damaso Marte and David Robertson came close to exonerating Hughes, but the latter surrendered a two-run single to Raul Ibanez with two outs.
It was the worst of Hughes’ seven appearances this postseason. He also struggled in Game 5 of the ALCS against the Angels and Games 2 and 3 of the ALDS against the Twins.
Hughes was summoned to replace CC Sabathia for the top of the eighth. He walked Jimmy Rollins, who promptly stole second. Shane Victorino then walked, ending Hughes’ night.
“It looked like [Hughes] was trying to be too fine,” pitching coach Dave Eiland said. “I don’t want to say he was timid, but instead of being in attack mode he was trying to be too fine.”
The lefty Marte did his job, retiring Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in succession before Robertson entered and walked Jayson Werth to load the bases. Joe Girardi stuck with Robertson instead of summoning lefty Phil Coke to face Ibanez, who drilled a single to right field to score the runs.
A day earlier, Girardi gave Hughes a vote of confidence, saying the right-hander wouldn’t be removed from eighth-inning duty. Eiland echoed that sentiment last night.
“It was his first World Series game, hopefully he got the jitters out,” Eiland said. “We’re certainly not going to throw in the towel on him.”
Hughes faced four batters in Game 5 of the ALCS in Anaheim and allowed three of them to reach base. He was charged with the blown save in the Yanks’ 7-6 loss.
“We’ll continue to talk to [Hughes],” Girardi said. “He walked two guys and ended up hurting us tonight, but we still believe in him.”