The Phillies didn’t get the start they wanted to their four-game set with the Braves, but a loss elsewhere still nudged them closer to a playoff spot.
Philadelphia opened its homestand Friday night against Atlanta after a strong West Coast trip, only to run into Chris Sale in the series opener. Cristopher Sanchez took the loss for the Phillies, though his outing was hardly a disaster. The left-hander worked six innings and gave up three runs on five hits and three walks, but Sale was just a bit sharper and that was enough to tilt the game.
Sale matched Sanchez with six innings of work and allowed two runs, and that small edge proved decisive. Against one of the better teams in the National League, the Phillies simply didn’t do quite enough to back up their starter.
The offense was quiet for much of the night. Luis Arraez and Alec Bohm each finished with two hits, and Bohm drove in both Philadelphia runs.
Even with the defeat, the Phillies got a little boost when the Diamondbacks lost, dropping their magic number again. They also had some help from the Houston Astros, which keeps the path to the postseason moving in the right direction. The setback to Atlanta, though, did come with a cost: Philadelphia is now five games back in the division, a spot they were hoping to improve.
There’s still plenty of time in this series to respond. The Phillies have three games left against the Braves, and Saturday gives them a chance to even the gap back to four games.
Zack Wheeler gets the ball for Philadelphia, and the Phillies will be looking for him to build on a much better last outing after a rough August stretch. If they want to look like a real contender, Wheeler has to be pitching at that level.
Martin Perez will start for Atlanta. He has also put together a strong season, which makes Saturday another appealing pitching matchup.
The Phillies will be watching the Astros again, but they know the bigger task is in front of them: take care of business themselves.
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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 🡒]