Andrew Painter struggles in Phillies’ 6-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox

The first pitch Andrew Painter threw on Saturday was a fastball that missed badly: high and inside to White Sox leadoff hitter Sam Antonacci.

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It was a harbinger of things to come for Painter’s start, as he struggled significantly with his command in the Phillies’ 6-3 loss to Chicago. He ultimately hit Antonacci with another mislocated fastball, and things started to spiral.

The first four batters Painter faced reached base — the hit by pitch, walk, single, walk — and all four ultimately scored. By the time he induced a flyout to end the inning, the Phillies were down, 4-0, and Painter had thrown 42 pitches.

Painter’s four-seam fastball, in particular, continued to be an issue. Out of the 15 he threw, only three four-seamers were in the strike zone. And one of those wound up in the right-field seats after Colson Montgomery teed off on it in the third inning.

Painter also hung a splitter for White Sox rookie Jacob Gonzalez, who capitalized for his first career major league home run to extend the Phillies’ deficit to 6-0 in the third.

Painter finished 4⅔ innings and allowed eight hits and two walks. Tanner Banks inherited two runners from Painter in the fifth but induced a flyout to escape the jam.

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Meanwhile, the Phillies only had two hits through the first five innings, which included a solo homer from Alec Bohm that gave them a run back.

They threatened in the sixth. Brandon Marsh started the rally — which came entirely with two outs — with another solo home run. J.T. Realmuto and Bryson Stott then drew back-to-back walks, before Adolis García drove in another run with a single.

Edmundo Sosa came to the plate with two runners on, pinch-hitting for Justin Crawford and representing the tying run, but he struck out looking to end the inning.

Banks, Tim Mayza, and Chase Shugart and kept the White Sox from adding to their lead, but the Phillies’ offense fell flat. García, Sosa, and Kyle Schwarber struck out in the ninth to end the game.

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