Philly Leader

The Phillies' offensive struggles continued in a 3-2 loss to the Braves on Thursday night at Truist Park. The defeat cut their lead in the NL East to six games with 35 left to play. Despite a promising 4-1 finish to their recent homestand, the team batted .146 over three games in Atlanta, struck out 32 times, walked five times, and scored only six runs.

“We’ve just got to get it rolling,” Trea Turner said. “I think all of us, in general. It’s kind of weird that we’re all struggling at the same time.”

The top three hitters in the Phillies’ lineup combined for a dismal 2-for-33 with two RBIs, two walks, and 14 strikeouts during the series. Kyle Schwarber went 1-for-10 with one RBI, two walks, and seven strikeouts; Turner was hitless in 11 at-bats with one RBI and one strikeout; Bryce Harper managed just one hit in 12 at-bats while striking out six times.

“I don’t think it’s a concern,” Turner added. “It’s more weird for us. I don’t think it’s anything we’re necessarily doing wrong.”

Manager Rob Thomson emphasized the need for better offensive approaches. "We have to cut that back," he said regarding chasing pitches outside the strike zone. "Think small, and big things happen."

Braves right-hander Reynaldo López struck out ten Phillies batters over five innings on Tuesday, leading to a 3-1 Atlanta victory as they retired Philadelphia's final 17 batters. Max Fried followed by retiring the first nine batters he faced on Wednesday before Philadelphia eked out a 3-2 win despite managing only five hits.

On Thursday, rookie Spencer Schwellenbach dominated after allowing a first-inning single to Harper, retiring the next 19 batters until Bryson Stott reached on an infield single in the seventh inning.

“It’s not coming as easy as you feel like it should,” Schwarber commented on their offensive woes.

Since July 11, the Phillies have posted a record of 13-21, ranking them third-worst in Major League Baseball ahead of only the White Sox and Mariners.

Despite these struggles, Schwarber remains focused on securing a postseason berth: “At the end of the day... ‘Get the division title and get into the postseason.’”