The Philadelphia Phillies dropped five games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East after a 6-5 loss in 11 innings on Friday at Truist Park. Three separate ninth-inning and extra-inning leads vanished as recurring baserunning mistakes and bullpen struggles compounded a difficult night for the club.
Friday night in Atlanta delivered a familiar brand of late-game pain for the Philadelphia Phillies. Leading three different times from the ninth inning onward, the visitors failed to slam the door, ultimately falling 6-5 to the Braves in 11 innings. The defeat dropped the Phillies to 82-66 on the season, pushing them five games behind the 87-61 Braves in the NL East with only 14 games remaining. It also pulled them into a tie with the Chicago Cubs for the top National League Wild Card spot, though the Cubs hold the tiebreaker advantage and would host a best-of-three series at Wrigley Field.
I thought we had a chance to win that game all around,
Bryce Harper said.
Friday’s contest was the Phillies’ first game at Truist Park since April 26, when Aaron Nola allowed six runs in 4 1/3 innings in an ugly 6-2 loss.
Baserunning Blunders and the Ninth-Inning Breakdown
Phillies lose to Braves in 11 innings
Mental mistakes on the basepaths have plagued the club during a crucial stretch of the schedule. Holding a 3-2 advantage in the top of the ninth thanks to a bases-clearing double from Derek Hill in the second and 6 1/3 solid innings from Aaron Nola, the Phillies again ran into trouble on the bases. Bryce Harper opened the frame with a double. When Alec Bohm subsequently hit a ground ball toward Harper with one out, Harper ran toward third, allowing Braves shortstop Mauricio Dubón to throw him out in a rundown.
Yeah, obviously not an ideal situation,
Harper said. Yeah, need to be better.
Manager Don Mattingly acknowledged the recurring mental lapses that have bled across multiple players on the roster.
A little bit contagious,
Mattingly said. I don’t understand it, really. Again, we’ll just keep talking about it and working through it.
Bullpen Meltdown and Extravagant Extra Frames
I don't understand it
With regular closer Jhoan Duran unavailable after working on Wednesday and Thursday, Jonathan Bowlan stepped into the ninth inning looking for his third career save. He allowed a ground-ball single to Mike Yastrzemski, who scored the game-tying run after Hill bobbled a ground-ball single from Sean Murphy in center field.
Two ground balls. I mean, it’s tough. They’re ground balls that found holes. It’s just part of it. All you can do is take it one pitch at a time. Jonathan
The Phillies traded blows with the Braves through extra frames. Rookie Justin Crawford came off the bench and attacked the first pitch he saw, ripping a go-ahead pinch-hit single in the 10th inning to score the automatic runner and put the Phillies back in front, 4-3. Mattingly chose Chase Shugart to protect the lead instead of Orion Kerkering, explaining, I just like the way he’s been throwing the ball. The last probably 45 days, his outings have been good.
Kerkering has not pitched since Sept. 4 because of turf toe on his left foot and left the ballpark in a walking boot, though Mattingly and the player confirmed he was available.
The Braves advanced the automatic runner to third in the 10th, when Dubón’s sacrifice fly scored Brewer Hicklen to tie the game. In the 11th, Harper singled and Bryson Stott walked before Crawford grounded out and Luis Arraez used the opposite field for an RBI single that made it 5-4. But with two outs and the automatic runner on second, left-hander Brooks Raley took over and allowed a game-tying single to Ha-Seong Kim and a walk-off double to Drake Baldwin.
Jesús Luzardo’s Shoulder Stiffness Adds to Postseason Concerns
Before the bullpen struggles unfolded on the field, the organization received alarming news regarding its rotation. Left-hander Jesús Luzardo will not pitch on Saturday night because of stiffness in his left shoulder. Luzardo threw a two-hit shutout Monday against the Braves at Citizens Bank Park, but Mattingly said he had trouble getting loose this week. The Phillies think he could pitch next week, but if this issue lingers, it would be a blow to their postseason hopes.
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