Phillies

Phillies Lose Second Straight to Brewers, Head Home 2 1/2 Back

The Phillies stumbled at the end of their road trip, but they're still within three of the division lead as they head home.

Phils lose second straight to Brewers, head home 2 1/2 back originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

A road trip that started with three wins in the nation’s capital ended in disappointment for the Phillies on Wednesday in Milwaukee.

The Phils suffered a 4-3 loss to the Brewers. It was their second straight loss to Milwaukee and it left them with two straight series defeats.

After sweeping the Nationals in Washington last week, the Phils went to Miami and Milwaukee and lost two of three in each city.

Despite losing two series during the nine-game trip, the Phils picked up two games in the standings and trail the first-place Atlanta Braves by just 2 ½ games in the NL East.

The Braves lost for the ninth time in 14 games on Wednesday night.

Philadelphia Phillies

Complete coverage of the Fightin' Phils and their MLB rivals from NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Phillies release Opening Day roster, place 5 players on IL

Phillies 2024 Opening Day postponed to Friday

The Phils have 23 games remaining in the season. They will play 14 of their next 17 at home before hitting the road for the final six games of the season.

It was an eventful three-day stay in Milwaukee for the Phillies. They won the first game of the series, 12-0, behind Zack Wheeler and six home runs on Monday. They lost the second game, 10-0, on Tuesday.

Wednesday night’s series finale was a lot closer. Eduardo Escobar broke a 3-3 tie with a booming solo homer against right-hander Connor Brogdon with two outs in the bottom of the sixth.

Batting from the left side, the switch-hitting Escobar turned on an 0-1, 97-mph fastball and hit it deep into the right-field seats. Lefty Jose Alvarado was up in the bullpen at the time, but Escobar hits lefties better than righties so the matchup with Brogdon made sense.

Both starting pitchers struggled with command and high pitch counts. Milwaukee’s Freddy Peralta did not make it through the fourth inning. 

Phillies starter Kyle Gibson needed 56 pitches to get through the first two innings but managed to work into the fifth and hold the Brewers to three runs despite allowing 11 base runners.

The Phils got a solo homer from Bryce Harper in the first inning – it was his 29th homer of the season and fourth on the road trip – and tied the game at 3-3 on a bases-loaded walk by Harper and a ground out by J.T. Realmuto in the third.

Harper walked three times, including with two outs in the eighth inning to put two men on base for Realmuto in a one-run game. Devin Williams struck out Realmuto on a changeup off the plate to end the threat and protect the Brewers’ one-run lead.

Josh Hader closed it out in the ninth.

The Phils had just five hits on the night and only one after the third inning.

The Phillies now embark on a crucial stretch that includes playing 14 of their next 17 at home, where they are 11 games over .500. The Phils need to do more than keep their head above water during this stretch. They need to dominate.

The Phils open a four-game series against Colorado at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday night. Lefty Ranger Suarez will face right-hander Anthony Senzatela in the opener. The Phillies need at least a series win against the Rockies, who are a dismal 18-50 on the road.

After hosting the Cubs for three next week, the Phillies play a three-game series in New York against the Mets, then return home for three against Baltimore and four against Pittsburgh, two teams that are a combined 89 games under .500.

The matchups are favorable for the Phillies. Will they take advantage before heading to Atlanta for possibly the series of the season on September 28? Stay tuned. This thing might go right down to the wire. 

Subscribe to Phillies Talk: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | Art19 | Watch on YouTube

Copyright RSN
Contact Us