Phillies Leave Too Much on the Table Against Atlanta Again: ‘Need to be Better’

The Phillies offense has had one clear issue this season, and the Atlanta Braves exploited it in two series, the team they are looking up at in the NL East.

The Phils opened this weekend’s series in Atlanta with an 11-inning 6-5 loss in Game 1, blowing three separate leads before finally falling in extra innings. They had chances throughout the game to build a lead over the Braves. Bryce Harper had multiple chances but was not able to get a base hit in clutch time.

“Obviously, not an ideal situation,” Harper said. “Need to be better.”

Game 2 didn’t have that issue, with Jesus Luzardo scratched from his scheduled start because of left shoulder stiffness; the Phils turned to a bullpen game and were throttled 12-2. Atlanta scored eight runs in the fourth inning alone, while the Phils managed just two at-bats with runners in scoring position all game. Don Mattingly balked at the idea of there being one reason that the Braves have their number.

Sunday’s finale had mixed results. The Phils won 9-4 to avoid a sweep, but they were 1-9 with runners in scoring position before Alec Bohm‘s two-out, two-run double in the eighth finally broke a 2-2 tie and sparked a seven-run inning. Even with that offensive explosion, the Phillies finished 6-15 with RISP on the game. They were one big swing away from even that not happening. Mattingly has noted this has been an issue since he took over as manager.

“We had some chances early and weren’t able to tack on,” Mattingly said. “But finally, you get to break through and put some runs up. It was huge.”

This is not a new issue for the Phils. They looked just as lost with runners in scoring position against the Braves in Philly the week before. The Phillies may have split that series, but there were chances in Game 1 against Atlanta’s ace Chris Sale. He held the Phils scoreless when they had runners in scoring position in both the fifth and sixth innings, part of a 0-6 night that went a long way to the Phils losing the game 5-2, and starting the series on a sour note. This series, like the most recent one, ended with the Braves fighting off the Phillies with less than three weeks left in the season. This is something that’s not missed in the clubhouse.

“We got to play better baseball,” Harper said. “If we don’t, we’re not going to be in.”

This is a sobering realization, because though August was so strong for the Phillies, there has been a bit of regression with the team, particularly against the Braves. This is a team that they need to stack wins against to get their best chance at getting into the playoffs.

With a veteran team like the Phillies, it’s obvious they know what they have to do to get the job done, but at times this season, they have looked like they have been pressing too much or they are just plain overmatched by pitching. This is something that they need to overcome and get back to what works best for the team. In the past, when everyone wants to play the hero, they press and get out of their plan at the plate and the opposing pitchers take full advantage. The Phillies are at their best when they play small ball, run the bases much better than they have recently, and spark offense by any means necessary.

With Trea Turner hitting the ball better, if just one of the other Phillies hitters at the top of the lineup can catch fire, the fortunes of the team can turn around. They aren’t out of time, but time is definitely running out, and closing out this season without a playoff run will definitely be a bitter pill to swallow.

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