Bats go quiet again as Phillies drop rubber match to Braves

Final score: Braves 3, Phillies 2

A night after the Phillies’ bats did just enough for an encouraging 3-2 win over the Braves in Atlanta, the tides turned in the exact opposite direction.

They fell by that same score on Thursday night, sealing a rubber-match defeat to their NL East foes. It wasn’t for lack of opportunities — they had plenty — but they couldn’t find the timely hit when they needed to, mustering just three knocks on the night.

Their lead over the Braves in the division is back down to six games.

Highlights

• The Phillies got on the board right out of the gate. Nick Castellanos beat out a potential double play to score Trea Turner, after he’d reached on a fielder’s choice and Bryce Harper had singled him to third.
• Bryson Stott saved a run, and potentially more, in the bottom half.

• Gio Urshela tied the game in the second, but it came with a break for the Phillies. His two-on, two-out double bounced into the seats down the left-field line, scoring just one instead of two (which it easily would have). Cristopher Sánchez ended the rally there.
• The Braves took the lead in the third on an RBI double by Matt Olson.
• Adam Duvall hit one out of the deep part of Truist Park in the sixth.

• The Phillies put together a two-out mini rally in the seventh, with Bryson Stott singling and J.T. Realmuto doubling him in — a play the Braves impressively made somewhat interesting, kind of.
• They had a golden opportunity in the eighth. One-out walks to Cal Stevenson and Schwarber brought Turner to the plate, but he grounded into an inning-ending double play.
• Raisel Iglesias struck out the side in the ninth to earn the save.

Notes

• Raisel Iglesias struck out Bryce Harper in the ninth. Harper has homered four times against Iglesias in his career. That’s how you know Harper isn’t at his best.
• Sánchez allowed nine hits in six innings but only three runs.
• The Brewers lost earlier on Thursday, so the Phillies’ lead on a bye in the National League postseason bracket remained at a game.

Ticket IQ Next Game

• Friday, Aug. 23 vs. Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium
• 8:10 p.m. EST
• NBC 10
• 94 WIP, WTTM 1680 (Esp.)

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