'Furious' Jake Arrieta vents after Phillies swept by Giants: 'Something has to change'

Bob Nightengale | USA TODAY

SAN FRANCISCO — Philadelphia Phillies ace Jake Arrieta vented his frustration Sunday after his team was swept by the San Francisco Giants, saying that it’s time for his teammates and the staff to be accountable.

“I worked too hard for this (stuff)," Arrieta said after the Phillies’ 6-1 loss. “Something has to change.’’

Arrieta, 5-3 with a 2.66 ERA, watched his team score just one run in the last 29 innings - a third-inning homer by himself - and get burned by defensive shifts with routine plays not made.

“We need some accountability all of the way around,’’ Arrieta said. “Everybody. From top to bottom. If there is not, I’ll make sure there is.’’

MORE MLB

Arrieta, who yielded a 0.90 ERA in May, was pitching another gem, yielding just three hits in the first five innings, until the Giants produced five consecutive hits - three on ground balls, including a weak grounder to rookie shortstop Scott Kingery - culminating with a three-run homer by Andrew McCutchen.

“I don’t believe in cheap home runs,’’ Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said, “but that ball was a fly ball.’’

Yet, it was the lack of plays made on ground balls that infuriated Arrieta, who had already induced two double-play grounders in the game.

“We had bad defensive shifts,’’ Arrieta said. “We’re the worst in the league in shifts. ….It’s about as deflating as it gets. So we need to change that.’’

How do you change it?

“Copy the best,’’ Arrieta said. “I don’t know. It’s not my job.

“Use your eyes. Make an adjustment. We got to be better than this.’’

Kapler came under fire early in the season for his bullpen management, and the Phillies' extreme shifts drew the attention of those within and out of the organization, but the rocky patch smoothed some during a May in which the Phillies at one point moved into first place in the National League East.

Sunday was a return to darker times.

Arrieta was particularly annoyed at Kingery after Gorkys Hernandez’s one-out single to center after barely avoiding Arrieta’s fastball near his chin. Pinch-hitter Alen Hanson hit a soft grounder to Kingery, who didn’t charge the ball, and didn’t throw to second for the force-out, and his throw was too late to get Hanson at first base.

“Kingery should have gone to second base on that play,’’ Arrieta said which Kapler agreed. “We need an out on that. Then they got three hits in a row. Credit McCutchen on putting a good swing on it, but I didn’t expect a ball like that to get out.

“Overall, really a (expletive) series. Really bad. Really bad.’’

When asked what had him most upset over the series, Arrieta didn’t hesitate.

“One run,’’ he said. “We scored one run. It’s not good.’’

And if not for Arrieta’s third-inning homer, they’d have a 29-inning scoreless drought.

The Phillies are off Monday and then begin a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Arrieta’s first game since signing with the Phillies as a free agent. They are 31-26, and three games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East, their biggest deficit since April 18.

“We need to have an accountability check,’’ Arrieta said. “This is a key moment in our season. We had a pretty good April (16-12). A pretty good May (15-11). June isn’t starting off so well….

“I’m so furious.’’