PHILADELPHIA – The Phillies went down to Georiga and handed the Braves game one of their three-game series. Entering play with a 7-game lead in the division, the Phillies just have to win one game in the series to avoid allowing the Braves back into the race.
With a chance to get off on the right foot, the Phillies entered play against their division rival on Tuesday night. Sending Zack Wheeler to the mound, the club had their best on the field. Despite pitching a really strong game, Wheeler’s efforts were not enough to bring home a victory.
Zack Wheeler
On the road and against your division rival, you want a pitcher like Zack Wheeler to take the ball. Rob Thomson entrusted Wheeler to take the ball and deliver a gem. Aside from one pitch to Marcell Ozuna, the Phillies’ ace did just that.
Wheels started the ball game by striking out the side. His pitches were moving with ease and you could tell Zack was dialed in. In the second inning, he allowed a double to Jared Kelenic but then left him stranded to keep the Braves off the scoreboard.
In the bottom of the third, an old friend came back to hurt the Phillies. Whit Merrifield battled his former teammate to a 3-2 count. He then poked a triple down the right field line and smacked off the angled wall in foul territory. This gave him the extra time he needed to reach third base standing.
Michael Harris would single and drive home Merrifield, making it 1-0 Atlanta. Philly’s starter battled and escaped the inning without letting any more runs score. Zack kept the Braves guessing over the next few innings, until the 6th. To lead off the inning, Marcell Ozuna came calling. He smoked a fastball into deep center field, giving the Braves a 2-1 lead.
It was the only mistake of the night for the Phillies’ ace. It resulted in being the losing run as Wheeler’s offense did not produce any support. Wheeler had 20 swings and misses from Braves’ hitters for the game, showing how dialed in he was. Unfortunately for the Phillies, it was not enough. His final stat line for the evening: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 8 K, 0 BB, 1 HR.
Phillies Bats Left in Philly
Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, and Bryce Harper are the three most important hitters in the Phillies’ lineup. That trio went 0/12 Tuesday night in Atlanta and combined for 7 strikeouts.
Stifling any chance for an explosive night offensively, the Phillies’ top hitters looked lost at the plate. Bryce Harper hit a ball hard in his final at-bat of the evening, but coming off the highly debated rest day Sunday, fans expected Bryce to return refreshed.
Alec Bohm did his best to get the offense started. Bohm went 2/4 on the night, extending his consecutive on-base streak to 36 games.
In the top of the 4th, the Phillies’ third baseman started the frame with an infield single. Nick Castellanos followed his efforts up with a single of his own. With two men on, Bryson Stott struck out swinging. It gave JT Realmuto a chance to change the ballgame. The Phillies’ catcher did just that, singling home Bohm, making it 1-1.
With two runners on, Brandon Marsh would strike out. Johan Rojas followed that at-bat up with a groundout to end the inning.
The Phillies went 1/6 with runners in scoring position. They allowed Braves pitching to retire 17 straight batters to end the ballgame, showing that the offense did not put up much of a fight in this game.
Jose Alvarado
Despite not affecting the game’s outcome, the Phillies had an interesting development with Jose Alvarado in the 8th inning.
Jose walked four batters in the inning, allowing a third run to cross for the Braves without a ball being put in play for the run. He tossed 34 pitches in the game and only 14 were for strikes. With two outs and the bases loaded, Max Lazar was available in the bullpen to make a switch. Rob Thomson decided to stick with Jose Alavardo in that spot, where he would walk in that run.
Lazar would face the next batter, Whit Merrifield. He would get Whit to strike out looking, ending the inning.
In the postgame, Rob Thomson mentioned that he is trying to Jose Alvarado through the rough stretch that he is dealing with. The issue is, putting the left-hander in a 1-run ballgame, you cannot have a long leash. A quick hook was called for in this game and it did not arrive until it was too late. Now, the extra run did not end up making a difference. The Phillies went down 1-2-3 in the 9th. But had it been a one-run game, it could certainly have changed the club’s approach at the plate.
At the end of the day, the Braves beat the Phillies because Philadelphia did not hit. But if the Phillies are to maintain their lead in the division and the National League, they need to heat up. The end of the season is near and this is the time of the year when the best teams separate from the pack. The opposite is happening in Philadelphia, as they are merging closer to the field.
Photo Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
