The Phillies have leaned on Jhoan Duran all year as the one reliever they can trust when the game gets tight. On Thursday against the Astros, though, they asked him to handle the exact spot that has given him trouble all season - a tie game - and it ended the same way it has too often in 2026.
Duran entered the ninth inning of the rubber match with the score even, and the expectation was that Philadelphia would find a way to win it itself. Instead, Cam Smith launched a 421-foot homer off Duran, the Astros broke through, and Duran took the loss. It was the second straight series in which he allowed the tiebreaking run.
For the most part, Duran has been as reliable as advertised in his first year with the Phillies. He owns a 1.82 ERA with 75 strikeouts in 54 1/3 innings, and his 30 saves were fourth-most in the National League entering play Friday. He made the All-Star team in July for a reason: in save situations, he has been dominant, with opposing hitters stuck in the low .200s and an OPS beginning with a five.
The problem shows up when the score is level. In tie games this season, hitters are batting .419 with a 1.083 OPS against him. That split is stark enough to stand out on its own, and it has become a real issue for a Phillies team trying to steady itself before October.
As one post put it: "As I just looked up, it’s not non-save situations for Jhoan Duran. He’s excellent in all situations EXCEPT when the game is tied when he turns into 2020 Brandon Workman: pic.twitter.com/4LQoKrA8fh"
The Phillies’ bullpen as a whole still carries a 4.24 ERA, 19th-best in MLB, so the margin for error is not exactly wide. Manager Don Mattingly could turn to Brooks Raley, Jonathan Bowlan, or even rookie flamethrower Alex McFarlane in those moments if he wants to buy the offense a shot to retake the lead. But Duran remains the team’s top relief arm, and that means Philadelphia needs this tie-game problem to disappear fast.
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