Philadelphia Phillies' Reliever Still Has Confidence Despite Struggles

It has not been a great stretch for one of the Philadelphia Phillies relievers as he continues to struggle when called upon.

Jun 6, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Seranthony Dominguez / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

In 2022, the Philadelphia Phillies seemed to find a reliever they could rely upon after there had been multiple years where that unit consistently performed as one of the worst across Major League Baseball.

For a franchise with championship aspirations, having a solid bullpen is necessary to lifting the trophy, something the Phillies have found out the hard way these past two seasons.

But when Seranthony Dominguez posted a 3.00 ERA and 133 ERA+ over his 54 appearances in 2022, he seemed like he was a newfound weapon that could be turned to when they needed to get out of a jam.

Then, last year, things started to change.

The right-hander's ERA went up to 3.78, and while his ERA+ was still above the league average at 116, something was definitely different about Dominguez.

That was evident by his strikeouts lowering from 61 to 48, while his walk rate stayed the same during just one less inning of work in 2023.

Concerns about what was occurring for Dominguez last season has turned into a full blown crisis this year as he sits with an ERA of 9.58 through his 12 appearances.

He was charged with the loss on Monday after he failed to keep things level at four when called upon in the bottom of the seventh inning. He gave up two singles before a wild pitch and error scored two runs.

After another disastrous outing, Dominguez says he's still not giving up hope he can turn things around.

"It's hard for me (right now). I still believe in myself, and every time they give me the opportunity, I'll go out and compete the same," he said according to Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

While the reliever is certainly searching for answers, the coaching staff has to be feeling the same way.

Manager Rob Thomson told reporters he doesn't think the struggles should be coming from a confidence issue after Dominguez threw the ball well against the San Diego Padres when not allowing a hit in his single inning of work with one strikeout.

But, the roller coaster continues.

"I can't give you the answer 100 percent right now, I just try to do my best when they give me the opportunity. I'm working on getting better each game," the righty said.

Hopefully he turns things around soon.