The tragic number is officially 1. The Phillies dropped their second straight game to Atlanta last night, falling by a final score of 7-2. Aaron Nola was average, and the offense was horrendous. The Phillies are 81-77 and sit 4.5 games back of the Braves with just four games to play.

Aaron Nola got off to a rough start in the bottom of the first, giving up two early earned runs. Austin Riley would single to right field, followed by an Adam Duvall fielders choice scoring Freddie Freeman. The score wouldn’t stay 2-0 for long though, thanks to a Ronald Torreyes infield single, scoring Matt Vierling in the top of the second.

After that, the bats were dead. The Phillies wouldn’t get another hit until the top of the 6th inning, as Odubel Herrera would hit a double to right field, where he would eventually score on a Jean Segura groundout. That would move the score to 3-2 still in the Braves’ favor, and nothing went the Phillies way after this inning.

Two strike hits have been the Phillies’ lingering problem this whole season, and nothing changed last night. Every hit that Aaron Nola let up on the night was with two strikes. A conversation needs to happen with the pitching staff, JT Realmuto, and the coaching staff. Nola’s night would end after the 6th inning. He finished the game with 6 innings pitched, allowing three earned runs, walking two batters, and striking out just four guys.

Joe Girardi would make a questionable decision in the bottom of the 7th, putting Jose Alvarado in to start the inning. Alvarado would load the bases and get pulled after three batters, and Hector Neris would enter the game to try and clean up Alvarado’s mess. He didn’t, as he let up the dagger two-run double by Austin Riley to move the score to 5-2.

Sam Coonrod would be the third pitcher of the inning for the Phils and would allow a two-run single to Dansby Swanson, pushing the Braves to a 7-2 lead. Odubel Herrera was the only good hitter of the night and would rope another double in the top of the 8th, moving Alec Bohm to third after he was hit by a pitch. But the Phillies wouldn’t do anything with their opportunity, as Segura would strike out and Bryce would hit a lazy flyout to second.

The team was dead, and there was no chance of them coming back in this game. The momentum was completely in the Braves’ favor, and it feels like the Phillies gave up. JT, Cutch, and Vierling would go down 1-2-3 in the top of the 9th, securing the win for the Braves.

The end is unfortunately near, and the Phillies are falling apart. They dropped their second straight game in Atlanta by a final score of 7-2, moving their tragic number to one game. Kyle Gibson (4-5, 4.87 ERA) will be on the mound tonight to try and save the Phillies from elimination.

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