Phillies Lose Fall Frustratingly to Brewers, Magic No. Remains 2
Philadelphia Phillies' Luis Arraez rects to an injury after being thrown out at first base during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The Phillies’ two main issues were on full display in a game where a win meant winning their series against the best team in baseball and being one San Diego Padres loss away from getting into the playoffs. Instead, the bullpen imploded, and the offense disappeared, allowing the Milwaukee Brewers to win their 100th game and handing the Phils their sixth straight series loss with a 5-1 win.
The Brewers got on the board first when Sal Frelick doubled home Gary Sanchez, putting the Brewers ahead 1-0. Bryce Harper singled home Kyle Schwarber to tie the game in the third. The scoring was paused until the eighth, when the Brewers struck for three, breaking the tie on an RBI single by Jake Bauers; he scored on a single by Cooper Pratt, and for good measure, Sanchez scored on a Joey Ortiz single, making the game 4-1. In the next inning, Jackson Chourio hit a solo home run to make the game 5-1.
Painter Changes the Brewers Up
It’s a certainty that if Andrew Painter will be successful, the keys to victory are getting through the first inning, fastball control, and establishing one of his secondary pitches early in the game. In this game, he had two of the three working well in the first. Because of the sharp bite on his changeup and with the number of lefties at the top of the Brewers lineup, we’d be seeing it quite a bit. It was certainly effective in the first, where he leaned on it and had seven swings and misses in the first inning alone.
Painter went six strong innings, getting better as the game went on. He was effective over his 93 pitches, 64 of which were strikes. He gave up five hits and one earned run, striking out eight. His bounce-back outing is exactly what the Phillies needed to stay in the game while the offense was struggling to get anything started off the Brewers bullpen. After his second inning, he tightened up and threw the ball very well.
Arreaz Exits the Game With Ankle Injury
In the sixth inning, Luis Arraez hit a ground ball to shortstop, and the throw by Pratt pulled Bauers off the base. Trying to avoid the tag by Bauers, Arraez tried to dive outside the base, and his cleat caught on the grass, and he grabbed his leg immediately in pain.
Not only did he hurt his ankle and need to be helped off the field, but he was also called out for being out of the baseline. Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly came out to argue, in vain because he was called safe by the first base umpire, and home plate umpire Dan Merzel called him out of the baseline. Both Arraez and hitting instructor Kevin Long were letting Merzel know he was safe, leading to Long getting tossed from the game.
Mattingly said he is hopeful that Arraez can play again this season postgame, but they will know more on Friday. His X-rays were negative. The Phillies are calling it a “left ankle sprain.”
Old Habits Die Hard for the Phils
This feels like a huge story all season, and in this game the Phils need the game the most; the bullpen wasted a strong effort by Painter. Alex McFarlane struggled a bit in the seventh, but he pulled it together to get out of a jam. Jose Alvarado, on the other hand, did not follow suit. He walked Churio, didn’t hold him on, and the Brewers played small ball; he was charged with three earned runs and was saddled with the loss.
The other was that after Harper’s RBI single in the third, the Phils only managed one hit off of a collection of Brewers middle relievers. This game is a symbolic one where the two things that have plagued this team the most — the middle relief ruined a strong starting performance, and the offense disappeared in a close game, causing them to drop two of three against the best team in baseball. This could have been a statement series where the Phils showed that they are ready for the playoffs. They have only ensured that there will be drama in the final series of the season.
Steve Hamilton
Steve may have been born in California, but don’t let that fool you. After dating a local woman and clashing with her and her family over sports for decades, he has an affinity for Philly sports. Balancing love for Philly and Bay Area sports teams may seem impossible; we can all agree that the Cowboys are the true evil.
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