The Phillies gave up four leads last night, including one in the 11th inning, ultimately falling 6-5 to the Braves in a game that felt like an absolute gut punch. What started with promising offense against Chris Sale quickly turned into a bullpen nightmare that refused to end.
From Early Lead to Missed Opportunities
Phillies starter Aaron Nola had a rocky start, serving up a solo shot to Matt Olson in the first inning that clanged off the fair pole to give the Braves a quick 1-0 lead. Nola looked like he was fighting his grip all night, constantly going back to the rosin bag. But somehow he found a way to get outs, settling into a groove. The Phillies offense came alive in the second when Sale got the first two outs, then stumbled. He gave up a single to Edmundo Sosa, walked Bryan de la Cruz, and hit J.T. Realmuto to load the bases. That set the stage for Derek Hill, who delivered a bases-clearing double that put the Phillies up 3-1. Impressively, these were two of only four hits the Phillies managed all night, making them count. Both starters battled into the seventh, with Austin Riley’s homer chasing Nola, but Jose Alvarado and Alex McFarlane held the 3-2 lead. Then came the ninth. Bryce Harper’s baserunning blunder prevented an all-important insurance run from scoring after a leadoff double. A brutal mistake that would loom large.
Bullpen Meltdown in Extras
With Jhoan Duran having pitched two days in a row, Don Mattingly turned to Jonathan Bowlan for the save. It blew up in his face. Bowlan gave up two singles, not exactly scalded, but placed perfectly, and aided by a bad error in center field by Hill. Just like that, the game was tied 3-3. Bowlan eventually escaped, sending it to extras. Justin Crawford came up in the 10th and on the first pitch, drove in Bryson Stott off Raisel Iglesias to reclaim the lead. But Chase Shugart, brought in to close it, couldn’t get the job done. A ground ball and a fly ball tied it again. In the 11th, Luis Arraez drove home pinch runner Garrett Stubbs, giving the Phillies their fifth run. They even loaded the bases, but that was all they would get. Then, the Braves’ turn. Shugart got Austin Riley, then Brooks Raley came in. Raley got Dom Smith to pop up. And then, Ha-Seong Kim, a guy hitting a pathetic .135, stepped up and delivered the final blow.
This game was an absolute soul-crusher for the Phillies. Blowing four separate leads, two of them in extra innings, it’s the kind of loss that just *sticks*. They had it multiple times, only to watch it slip away in the most painful fashion possible. What a brutal night for the Phillies bullpen.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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