PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies spent Friday night celebrating Kyle Schwarber's four-hit performance and a comeback victory.
Less than 24 hours later, they found themselves staring at a familiar problem.
The White Sox jumped on Andrew Painter before the Phillies ever had a chance to settle into the afternoon, scoring four runs in the first inning and never looking back in a 6-3 victory Saturday at Citizens Bank Park.
For a Phillies team that entered the day riding a four-game winning streak, the loss was less about one bad inning and more about a question that continues to follow one of the organization's most important young players.
How much longer can the Phillies afford to live with Painter's growing pains?
Saturday's answer wasn't encouraging.
Painter hit leadoff hitter Sam Antonacci with the first batter of the game, walked two others in the inning and watched the White Sox send nine men to the plate during a four-run opening frame. The first four Chicago hitters reached base. All four scored.
By the time the inning ended, the Phillies were already playing from behind.
The White Sox added to their advantage an inning later when Colson Montgomery launched a home run off Painter before rookie Jacob Gonzalez delivered the biggest swing of his young career.
Playing in only his sixth major-league game, Gonzalez crushed an 0-2 slider 428 feet into the second deck in right field for his first big-league home run, extending Chicago's lead and quieting a Saturday crowd that had expected to see another step forward from Philadelphia's prized pitching prospect.
Instead, the afternoon became another difficult chapter in Painter's introduction to the major leagues.
The right-hander allowed six runs on eight hits over 4⅔ innings. He left the game with runners on second and third in the fifth inning and his ERA climbed to 6.21 through his first 12 career appearances.
The Phillies have now lost nine of the 12 games Painter has pitched this season.
Those numbers place him in some unfortunate historical company.
Among Phillies pitchers who made at least 10 starts within their first 12 career appearances, the only pitcher in franchise history to post a higher ERA than Painter's 6.21 was Carlton Loewer in 1998.
The comparison is hardly one anyone inside the organization wants to make. Neither, however, can the Phillies ignore the reality that one of baseball's top pitching prospects is still searching for consistency at the highest level.
The challenge is what comes next.
In another season, a return to Triple-A Lehigh Valley might be part of the discussion. But the Phillies' starting pitching depth beyond the major-league roster remains thin, leaving few obvious alternatives if the club wanted to remove Painter from the rotation.
As a result, the Phillies appear committed to letting him continue learning in the major leagues.
His next opportunity is scheduled to come Friday in Milwaukee.
While Painter struggled, the Phillies never completely disappeared offensively.
Alec Bohm connected for a solo home run. Brandon Marsh added another. Adolis Garcia chipped in an RBI single.
But unlike Friday night's victory, when Philadelphia consistently strung together quality at-bats throughout the lineup, the Phillies could never generate the one big rally necessary to erase Chicago's early advantage.
Every time they threatened, the White Sox answered.
Chicago received a strong effort from Sean Burke, who followed opener Brandon Eisert and struck out seven over 4⅓ innings while limiting the Phillies to three runs.
Grant Taylor closed the door in the ninth inning, striking out the side to earn his second save.
For the White Sox, the story was Gonzalez's milestone home run and an offense that capitalized on nearly every mistake Painter made.
For the Phillies, the story was another missed opportunity and another difficult outing from a pitcher they hope will eventually become a cornerstone of their future.
The loss snapped Philadelphia's four-game winning streak and set up a rubber game Sunday afternoon.
Aaron Nola will take the ball looking to secure the series victory and prevent the Phillies from dropping a home series to a White Sox club that arrived in Philadelphia well below .500.
But beyond the result, Saturday's game left a larger question hanging over Citizens Bank Park.
The Phillies still believe Andrew Painter will become a front-line starter.
The challenge is figuring out how much turbulence they are willing to endure before he gets there.
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