The Phillies had this one lined up perfectly through seven innings, and still walked away empty-handed.
Aaron Nola gave Philadelphia exactly what it needed on the mound, carving through Atlanta with one run allowed on four hits and one walk across seven innings. He struck out five and kept the Braves quiet long enough for the lineup to cash in on some mistakes.
Philadelphia scored twice against Tyler Mahle, and neither run was earned. Then, after Mahle was out of the game in the seventh, the Phillies added two more against Dylan Dodd, with Derek Hill and Kyle Schwarber each launching solo homers to push the lead to 4-1.
That cushion held until the bullpen got involved.
Interim manager Don Mattingly went to the relief corps in the eighth after Nola had reached 93 pitches, and with roles in flux, rookie Alex McFarlane got the call to handle the inning. Orion Kerkering’s role is set to change after another rough outing in Game 1 against Atlanta, and Jonathan Bowlan, who had already allowed a run in Game 2 and in three of his last four appearances, had also been used out of the bullpen. That left McFarlane to bridge the gap to Jhoan Duran.
McFarlane had been sharp in his first appearance against the Braves two days earlier, needing just eight pitches, all strikes, to get through his inning. This time, he opened by getting Austin Riley to line out to Hill in center, but that was the only out he recorded.
Mike Yastrzemski followed with a single, Drake Baldwin doubled, and then Ronald Acuna Jr. sent a three-run homer out to erase the lead. It was the second straight day Acuna had gone deep.
Brooks Raley came in after the game was tied at 4-4 and kept Atlanta from doing any more damage in the inning. But the damage wasn’t finished.
Duran took over in the ninth and couldn’t hold the line. Ozzie Albies doubled to start the frame, Sean Murphy moved him to third with a groundout, and Riley brought him home with a triple. Yastrzemski and Baldwin both struck out to end the inning, but the Braves had a 5-4 edge for Raisel Iglesias.
Philadelphia still had a chance. Bryson Stott, who has a ton of success against Iglesias in his career, opened the inning with a single.
Hill then grounded out to move him to second, and a miscue by Murphy behind the plate let Stott reach third. Bryan De La Cruz then ripped a hard liner, but with Atlanta’s defense in, Mauricio Dubon snagged it at shortstop.
Edmundo Sosa pinch-hit next and was set down on three pitches to end it.
The Phillies were left with a loss that fits the same frustrating pattern: seven strong innings, then a bullpen collapse. The defeat also means Philadelphia can no longer get the tiebreaker from Atlanta, which has already won seven games against the Phillies this season.
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Phillies Risk Letting A Familiar Problem Linger At Third Base
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The question now is whether the Phillies will treat that as a reason to look elsewhere or as another case for keeping a familiar face in place. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has generally favored continuity, which leaves Bohms looming free agency after the 2026 season as a potential crossroads the club may be slow to approach even if the broader fit remains in doubt. [Read more 🡒]
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Schwarber has led the National League in home runs before, including in 2022 and 2025, but the next step would mean something a little different for both him and the Phillies. It would mark the first time in his career that he finishes as the game's outright home run leader, and ESPN's analysts have started to view that as the likeliest path, with Pete Crow-Armstrong the only other name drawing votes in the prediction and still trailing by three. [Read more 🡒]
Jess Luzardo Keeps Making This Phillies Move Look Better
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For the Phillies, the trade has become a reminder that sometimes the real payoff is not immediate but obvious once a pitcher finds the right fit. Miami is still waiting for the prospects to take a major step forward, and Luzardos rise in Philadelphia only sharpens the contrast. The deal is looking increasingly like the kind of move that can shape a roster long after the original transaction is made. [Read more 🡒]