Brandon Workman’s introduction to Philadelphia did not go well.
The former Red Sox closer, traded on Friday night, was immediately thrown into the fire on Saturday in a crucial match against the NL East-leading Braves.
Called to secure a 4-3 lead in the eighth inning with the Phillies looking to stop a losing streak of four games, Workman earned a two-run double on his first field goal in a Philadelphia uniform. A while later, he loaded up the bases before Adam Duvall rounded him out with a two-out single in Atlanta’s 6-5 victory.
“That’s not the first impression I’m trying to make, of course,” Workman told reporters, including Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I do not do that on the mound. There is no excuse for that. I have to perform pitches better than I did last night and do a better job to get the job done.
“I’m not at all happy with how I hit the ball.”
The Phillies have blown leads in all five of their losses during this stretch, and Workman aimed to reverse that trend. Philly got him, along with Judge Heath Hembree, hoping to recreate their beleaguered bullpen.
They inconsistently gave up right-hander Nick Pivetta and intriguing prospect Connor Seabold to get it done, but Workman proved in his debut no more effective than his predecessors.
“Of course I know the situation and how it went here, but that’s not something I think about when I try to do my job,” Workman said. “I did not do my job yesterday.”
