Phillies’ Luis Arraez mired in one of the worst hitting stretches of his career

ST. LOUIS — When Bryce Harper took the ninth pitch of the plate appearance, a 3-2 cutter, it felt for the first time all night as if the Phillies had momentum. They hit into three double plays before the eighth inning, departing the field after each frame on a stagnant, sweltering night in St. Louis with nothing to show.

Then three batters walked to start the eighth. And Luis Arraez, arguably the best hitter traded at the deadline, stepped to the plate. He took a high slider, before doing what he is known for — making contact — on the second pitch. It went straight to first baseman Alec Burleson, who sent it to catcher Pedro Pages at home, who promptly flipped it back to Burleson, who tapped first. Two outs, and a rally killed.

“No doubt, (you’d) take him up there in these spots over the last few games,” Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said. “No. 1, you know he’s going to put it in play. That’s just who he is. He’s going to hit the ball hard somewhere. He’s going to hit it — just today, (he) hit it right at that guy.”

That has been the trend for several days for Arraez, who has seven hits in 36 at-bats in a Phillies uniform — and none in his last 15. It is premature to worry about a player whose .314 batting average ranks second in the National League, but that number has fallen 10 points since his Phillies debut just over a week ago, a noteworthy difference for a player known for constantly making contact.

It all feels heightened for these Phillies (64-57), approaching the stretch run tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres for the final National League wild-card spots. Every misstep — any bullpen struggles, failing to capitalize on an at-bat such as Arraez’s in the eighth — will draw greater scrutiny.

Arraez, through a team spokesperson, declined to speak with the media after the Phillies’ 2-0 loss to the Cardinals on Tuesday.

This is a skid unlike anything Arraez has gone through. The 0-for-15 stretch is just the third of his career, and his worst since going 0-for-16 in August 2021. There are likely several factors at play, perhaps including adjusting to a new team and a new ballpark. But what might be the most pressing is his average against fastballs, which sits at .160 in August. It is an almost unfathomable number for Arraez, who has a .339 average against that pitch group this season. He has only three hits off fastballs this month (25 at-bats); he had 20 in 66 at-bats in July.

Before the game, Mattingly said he hadn’t noticed anything in Arraez’s recent plate appearances beyond his hitting the ball right at the defense, and batted ball luck is certainly part of it. Arraez’s batting average on balls in play is .200 since his first game with the Phillies on Aug. 3. His season-long figure is .318.

“He’s not one of those guys that’s going to go 0-for-9 or 0-for-10,” Mattingly said, “and go, ‘Oh, what’s wrong with me?’ He’s always hit. He’s going to hit.”

Arraez hit a ball straight at reliever Gordon Graceffo’s feet yesterday. Maybe, a few inches over, it would have bounced into center field, but that didn’t happen and there is no wishing that away.

Lost in all of this is that Arraez’s defense, arguably a much greater liability, has been just fine. The defensive strides he made with San Francisco Giants infield coach Ron Washington appear legitimate. There has been little fanfare — good or bad — at second base, which is probably for the best.

Phillies infield coach Bobby Dickerson is continuing everything Arraez did with Washington. Arraez, who saw Dickerson speaking with The Athletic before Monday’s game, came and wrapped an arm around him.

“Bobby’s the best,” he said.

Then he broke down a bit of what he started working on in San Francisco, the confidence and fun he was told to play with. All of that has seeped into his defense — like when he called off a backpedaling Kyle Schwarber and caught a popout in Monday’s game, laughing with Schwarber as he did so.

Now, he needs the same effect at the plate. The Phillies feel it will come back soon, that it is a matter of when, not if. But a tough April and July have given the club little breathing room. Any assistance from Arraez or anyone else on any given night is welcome. So much about Arraez’s first night with the team — barely a week ago — was magical: the standing ovation, driving in runners in back-to-back at-bats. A return to that can’t be too far off.