CHICAGO — Before the Phillies gave the ball to a 25-year-old with one major-league inning on his resumé for his first career start Tuesday night, the manager offered a morsel of advice.
“Throw strikes,” Rob Thomson said, “because the stuff’s good enough.”
Michael Mercado obliged.
And then some.
» READ MORE: Building the Perfect Phillies Pitcher: The signature pitch from each starter, and what makes it special
For five innings — at hallowed Wrigley Field, no less — Mercado filled the strike zone with fastballs, cutters, and curveballs. He held the Cubs to one run on two hits. And backed by 861 feet of home runs from Trea Turner, the tall, skinny righty notched his first major-league victory, 6-4, before 38,670 patrons on Chicago’s North Side.
If it seemed vaguely familiar, think back 18 years to when another kid from San Diego sparkled for five innings in announcing his arrival with the Phillies. Mercado may not turn out to be the second coming of Cole Hamels, but as maiden starts go, well, he wasn’t any less impressive.
And when Mercado walked into the dugout after painting the outside corner with a cutter for a called third strike to Nico Hoerner to end the fifth inning, he got a round of handshakes for a job well done.
The Phillies won for the third time in four games without injured Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, and it was Mercado who set the tone.
Mercado gave up a few hard-hit balls. Seiya Suzuki, whose three-run homer in the ninth inning against reliever José Ruiz made the final three outs moderately uncomfortable for the Phillies, scalded a two-out single to center field in the first inning. Cody Bellinger scorched an RBI double to right-center in the third.
But mostly, Mercado was poised and in control. He came back from a 2-0 count to strike out Ian Happ on three consecutive fastballs and strand two runners in the first inning. He fanned Suzuki on a 97-mph full-count heater to leave Bellinger on second base in the third.
Maybe it was what Brian Kaplan envisioned early in the season when he advocated for Mercado to start in triple A.
» READ MORE: The Phillies’ bullpen isn’t a weakness, but that doesn’t mean they should pass on upgrading at the trade deadline
When the Phillies acquired Mercado from the Rays in a swap of minor-league pitchers in November, they regarded him as a reliever. But in mid-April, with touted prospect Mick Abel and other triple-A starters struggling, Kaplan suggested stretching out Mercado as a starter.
“Just the repertoire with the high velocity, the strike-throwing ability, the way he can throw the breaking ball and his secondary pitches, the effectiveness, [Kaplan] thought it might be key for us for depth,” Thomson said before the game. “And thank God he came up with the idea because it’s really worked out well.”
Mercado posted a 1.98 ERA in 10 triple-A starts. But the Phillies called him up June 23 to pitch out of the bullpen after moving Spencer Turnbull into injured Taijuan Walker’s spot in the rotation. Mercado made his major-league debut one night later in Detroit. And two days after that, Turnbull strained a muscle behind his right shoulder.
Next-man up in the rotation: Mercado, who figures to remain as the No. 5 starter until Walker returns from a blister on his right index finger, likely for the first turn in the rotation after the All-Star break.
To paraphrase famous Chicagoan Ferris Bueller, life comes at you fast.
The Phillies staked Mercado to an early lead on Garrett Stubbs’ two-run double to left field in the second inning against Cubs starter Hayden Wesneski. Turner homered into the left-field bleachers in the third inning to open a 3-0 advantage.
And after the Cubs got a run back against Mercado, Turner launched a two-run homer over those left-field bleachers and onto Waveland Avenue for a 5-1 edge.
» READ MORE: ‘Quick healer’ J.T. Realmuto takes batting practice with the Phillies
Turner notched 16 hits in his first 12 games back from a six-week stint on the injured list. But he had only five extra-base hits, including one homer. And with Harper, Schwarber, and injured J.T. Realmuto missing from the lineup for at least another week, it’s incumbent upon Turner to help lift the offense in Chicago and Atlanta.
Speaking of Atlanta, Mercado is lined up to make his next start Sunday against the Braves. It’s a big spot for the rookie. But Thomson was impressed with Mercado’s calmness coming out of the bullpen last week in Detroit.
Monday night, on the eve of Mercado’s first start, Thomson saw him eating dinner in the team hotel and chatted with him for a few minutes.
“He seemed really relaxed,” Thomson said.
Looked like it, too.
