Philly Leader

PHOENIX -- It was a long road trip against some of the top teams in baseball for the Phillies. After a 12-5 loss to the D-backs at Chase Field on Sunday, a return to Citizens Bank Park is just what the doctor ordered.

Alec Bohm continued his hot August while Kyle Schwarber, Brandon Marsh, and Cal Stevenson each chipped in an RBI. However, the Phillies’ lopsided loss on Sunday marked their third straight defeat in the desert after winning the series opener on Thursday. They went 4-6 on the 10-game road trip against the Mariners, Dodgers, and D-backs.

Philadelphia now returns home for six games just as its starting rotation is beginning to get healthy, a combination that could provide a much-needed spark for a team that’s 7-15 since the All-Star break.

“We’re not playing our best baseball right now,” said first baseman Bryce Harper. “We just have to keep going, understand we have a long season to go, and we just have to keep playing our game.”

The Phillies are 17 games over .500 at Citizens Bank Park (38-21), as opposed to 31-28 on the road. They now host two teams under .500: the Marlins (44-75) and the Nationals (54-65).

Sunday started off well enough, as Philadelphia jumped on D-backs starter Merrill Kelly courtesy of Bohm’s two-run double in the first. The offense added three runs in the seventh, but Arizona matched that output in the bottom half of the inning to put the game out of reach.

Bohm was a bright spot throughout the trip, hitting .318 (14-for-44) with five doubles and seven RBIs. He doubled three times in the Phillies’ four-game series against the D-backs.

That wasn’t enough for Philadelphia, which has allowed 23 runs in its last two games.

“We scored early and then we had some other chances too,” manager Rob Thomson said. “We just didn’t get it done.”

Starter Cristopher Sánchez allowed seven runs in 4 2/3 innings, marking his second time in three starts allowing at least six earned runs. The southpaw had a stellar June but has struggled since July 4.

“I missed a lot of pitches,” Sánchez said. “I think it was just location.”

The bullpen also struggled on Sunday, allowing six hits and five runs in 3 1/3 innings of relief. Rookie Max Lazar was an exception, pitching 2 1/3 innings of hitless baseball since making his MLB debut on Saturday.

Philadelphia still leads the NL East by 7 1/2 games and finished their season series against Arizona at 3-4. The two teams met in last year’s National League Championship Series; this past weekend's series could be a preview of what's to come this fall.

Before thinking about October, though, they need to turn things around this month.

“It’s been a long trip,” Thomson said. “Let’s get home in front of our fan base and start winning some games and winning some series.”