{"id":520,"date":"2026-06-04T22:15:21","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T22:15:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=520"},"modified":"2026-06-04T22:15:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T22:15:21","slug":"when-jhoan-duran-enters-the-phillies-feel-like-the-games-over-and-hes-been-key-to-their-turnaround","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=520","title":{"rendered":"When Jhoan Duran enters, the Phillies feel like \u2018the game\u2019s over.\u2019 And he\u2019s been key to their turnaround."},"content":{"rendered":"

The Phillies\u2019 six-run outburst against the Padres on Thursday was an encouraging sign for an offense that has struggled to score many runs over the last few weeks. <\/p>

Read more Philly temperatures are heading back to the 90s as the drought goes on<\/a><\/p>

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But even as they waited for the runs to come, the Phillies still managed to eke out wins and keep their record above .500, in large part due to Jhoan Duran. <\/p>

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The Phillies closer has been perfect in 14 save opportunities this season, which ranks sixth among National League relievers even after Duran missed nearly three weeks with an oblique strain. Six of those saves have come in the last two weeks, including on Tuesday and Wednesday against the Padres. <\/p>

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The Phillies have leaned heavily on Duran throughout this stretch of close games. Against the Padres, who have a right-handed heavy lineup, they also relied on righty Brad Keller, who pitched in the eighth inning on Tuesday and Wednesday and earned two holds. <\/p>

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That meant the Phillies needed other relievers to step up on Thursday against the Padres, after two of their highest-leverage righties in Duran and Keller had pitched two straight games. With a four-run cushion in the eighth, interim manager Don Mattingly went to Orion Kerkering and then Jos\u00e9 Alvarado for the ninth. Alvarado surrendered a two-run homer, but then bounced back to seal the win. <\/p>

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From a management point of view, having a closer makes Mattingly\u2019s life easier, as the ninth inning is usually spoken for. Before the Phillies acquired Duran from the Twins at the trade deadline last year, there was no clear closer and relievers would be deployed based on matchups.<\/p>

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\u201cThere\u2019s been times I\u2019ve had to have teams where that ninth inning is by committee. It never seems to go that well,\u201d Mattingly said. \u201cI like having a number of guys that you could do it with, but it\u2019s nice to have that guy that you feel like the game\u2019s over.\u201d<\/p>

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Mattingly said the best closer he\u2019d ever managed at any of his previous stops was Kenley Jansen on the Dodgers, and he gets a similar feeling now when Duran enters the game. <\/p>

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\u201cWhat\u2019s similar for me is I feel like the game\u2019s over,\u201d Mattingly said. \u201c \u2026 You kind of get to him and you feel like you\u2019re done managing, in a sense that you got where you wanted to go, you got a lead, you got your guy in the game, and you feel good about it. And so that\u2019s a good feeling, when you have a guy like Jho, that you kind of manage the game to get to the ninth.\u201d<\/p>

Read more The USMNT is excited to face Germany\u2019s stars in their last World Cup tuneup game<\/a><\/p>

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But a key difference between Duran and Jansen \u2014 and many other closers, in fact \u2014 is their repertoire. Throughout his career, Jansen has mostly relied on his cutter. He will mix in secondary offerings, but the cutter has been his primary weapon en route to 483 career saves. <\/p>

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Duran, though, has five pitches that he throws with confidence, including a split-change that he incorporated this season. Relievers typically have pared-down arsenals, but in an era where hitters continue to improve \u2014 especially against high velocity \u2014 more tools are becoming necessary.<\/p>

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\u201cHe\u2019s got all those weapons, and the movement goes a lot of different ways, so it makes it hard on a hitter,\u201d Mattingly said. \u201cI think you still see, he\u2019s throwing 100, 101 [mph] at times, guys hit that now. So you just can\u2019t sit there and go, \u2018I\u2019m just gonna go throw 100 and throw it by everybody and we\u2019re gonna win.\u2019 <\/p>

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\u201cI think you have to have other weapons at least to make guys think and give them other things to deal with.\u201d<\/p>

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