Quiet Offense, Base-Running Mistakes, Blown Lead Loses Phillies Rubber Match Against Diamondbacks

It’s back-to-back series losses for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Heading into the rubber match between the Phillies and the Arizona Diamondbacks in their three-game series, the Phillies were prepared to send out rookie right-handed pitcher Andrew Painter for his third start of the season against veteran and Delaware Valley native Zac Gallen. However, just about half an hour before the start of the game, it was announced that Painter was suffering from a migraine and would be scratched from his start.

Despite starting the game off without their starting pitcher, that was somehow the least of the Phillies’ worries, as their offense continued to struggle to produce runs across the entire game. For the third consecutive game, the Phillies’ offense scored all of its runs in just one inning, scoring only three runs.

But three runs were nearly enough, as heading into the eighth inning, the Phillies led. Unfortunately, the Phillies’ bullpen was unable to hold that lead, with the Phillies dropping the finale 4-3.

Getting the start on the mound was Phillies reliever Zach Pop, making his first career start in the big leagues. Pop looked solid through his first inning of work, picking up three groundouts to secure a scoreless first inning, but inning number two wasn’t as successful.

Nolan Arenado, who was hitless entering the final game of the series, dropped a bloop single to left and advanced to second on an error from Brandon Marsh. It didn’t take long for Arenado to come in and score as James McCann smoked a double off on Monty’s Angle, making it 1-0 Arizona.

Thankfully for the Phillies, in between the first and second innings, Painter walked out to the bullpen, and it looked like he was warming up to come in in relief of Pop. Following the double from McCann, Pop picked up a groundout for out No. 2 and struck out Jorge Barrosa to end the second.

So trailing by a run, the Phillies’ offense needed to answer back, and in the bottom of the second, they did that thanks to a single from Bryston Stott and a walk from Alec Bohm, putting two on with two outs for Rafael Marchan. Marchan battled during his at-bat, hitting a home run distance foul ball down the right field line, but flew out to center to end the inning.

Coming out for the third inning, Painter jogged out from the bullpen, making his first relief appearance of his career, and right away, he looked locked in, picking up back-to-back strikeouts to start his afternoon. He grabbed another K in the third and two more in the fifth, making quick work of the Diamondbacks lineup the first time through the order.

Unfortunately for Painter, the offense continued to do not much of anything, going down 1-2-3 in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. With the Diamondbacks hitters getting ready for their second at-bats against Painter, Ildemaro Vargas smacked a double to right, Corbin Carroll worked a walk, and Jose Fernandez blooped a single to load the bases.

Arenado, back up with one out, lifted a long fly ball to right that was deep enough to score Vargas, doubling Arizona’s lead to two. With two out, Painter shook off the run he allowed and picked up his sixth strikeout of the game to keep it a 2-0 game.

Trailing by two in the sixth, the Phillies’ offense finally got going. Justin Crawford, who has impressively started his first major league season batting .350 through his first 14 games, smacked a leadoff double to left. Trea Turner stepped up for his third at-bat and smoked a deep fly ball to right that was called off the wall for a double, but after review, it was ruled a game-tying two-run home run.

Trea ties it!#Phillies pic.twitter.com/JMH0f9nY08

— Philly Sports Reports (@PhlySprtsReprts) April 12, 2026

The hits didn’t stop there as Kyle Schwarber smoked a double to right and Bryce Harper answered him with a double of his own off the right field wall, giving the Phillies a 3-2 lead. Three runs were all the Phillies could muster as after a single from Brandon Marsh put runners on the corners, but a fielder’s choice from Stott and a popout and lineout ended the frame.

So now in line for the win, Painter stepped back out on the mound for his fifth inning of work, but allowed a leadoff single and a bunt to kick off the seventh inning. Needing two more outs to get out of the jam and keep the lead, Painter fired three strikes over the middle to end the inning with a strikeout and the lead.

Leading by one, the offense failed to add on in the seventh, and it cost them, as with Pianter coming out in the eighth and Jose Alvarado on the bump, the Diamondbacks quickly retook the lead. After getting a runner aboard with one out, Fernandez lifted a single up the middle to tie the game at three. Two batters later, off the bench, Adrian Del Castillo came and smacked a weak single to right, scoring Fernandez from second, which gave Arizona a 4-3 lead.

Philadelphia now trailing, threatened in the bottom of the eighth after putting runners on the corners with nobody out. However, a strikeout from Stott brought up one out, and Adolis Garcia popped one up for another, and on the pop out, Marsh was stealing, causing Arizona to pick up the easy double play to end the inning.

Robbed The Bank. pic.twitter.com/FBUjH2tiIQ

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) April 12, 2026

In the ninth, the Phillies did little with their final at-bats, going down in order, losing the finale 4-3, dropping their second straight series.

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