Phillies offense goes AWOL, drop second consecutive game to Braves 4-1
The Phillies fell to the Braves for the second consecutive game 4-1, as the offense went silent outside of a Rhys Hoskins home run and could muster only four total hits on the night.
Phillies (39-37) Beat Braves (44-32)
- Winning Pitcher: Kyle Wright (9-4, 3.03)
- Losing Pitcher: Ranger Suarez (6-5, 4.33)
- Save: Will Smith (3, 3.30)
The Phillies are going to have to come up with some creative ways to score now that Bryce Harper is likely headed to the 60-day injured list after undergoing surgery for a broken finger sustained last weekend. It’s certainly going to take more than one run to beat the Braves, who matched their team record by notching their 20th win in the month of June, good for a 20-5 mark overall.
Rhys Hoskins put the Phillies on the board early on, when he crushed a long solo home run off Braves starting pitcher Kyle Wright that hit the left field foul pole. But that was all the Phils would be able to muster offensively as the rest of the team combined for only three hits. The Phils were threatening in the 2nd inning, but Mickey Moniak struck out with the bases loaded, after Wright walked JT Realmuto and Bryson Stott earlier in the inning.
Wright settled down and allowed only one run on the solo shot to Hoskins before completing 7 innings and leaving the game with a 4-1 lead.
Ranger Suarez was solid tonight through his first 6 innings allowing only two earned runs on four hits. But Suarez lost his way in the 7th inning giving up a solo home run to Adam Duvall and allowing former Phillie and West Chester, PA native Phil Gosselin to reach base, before he would eventually score on wild pitch from who else but Jose Alvarado.
Darick Hall made his season debut going 0-4 after being promoted earlier in the day from AAA-Lehigh Valley where he had been tearing up the International League.
Mark Appel provided nearly the only positive highlight of the night when he became the oldest former #1 overall pick to make his major league debut when he entered the ninth inning with the Phils down three runs. Appel notched a solid scoreless inning, allowing only one hit in his first taste of the big leagues after coming to the Phils in a 2015 trade.
I hate saying it, because there are so many games in a season that one rarely makes or breaks a team, but the Phils really need a win to avoid being swept by Atlanta tomorrow and falling even further back, in not only the wild card race, but the division.
Rhys Hoskins puts the Phillies on the board with a solo home run off the left field foul pole!
1-0 Phils
William Contreras ties it up with an RBI single in the 4th inning.
1-1 Phils
Adam Duvall busts his ass getting down the line and beats the throw from Bryson Stott to avoid the double play and give the Braves their first lead of the night.
2-1 Braves
A solo shot from Adam Duvall makes it a two run lead for the Braves in the 7th inning. Also, that’s it for starting pitcher Ranger Suarez.
3-1 Braves
Add another to the tally of wild pitches from Jose Alvarado this season. This specific wild pitch allows the runner to reach scoring position and then Michael Harris drives in the run with an RBI single.
4-1 Braves
Mark Appel makes his big league debut and gets West Chester native Phil Gosselin to ground out for a clean 9th inning.
Up Next for the Phillies
The Phillies will look to avoid the series sweep at the hand of the rival Atlanta Braves in the third and final game of the series at Citizens Bank Park.
Aaron Nola (4-5, 2.98) will toe the rubber facing off against Ian Anderson (6-4, 4.60) with the first pitch scheduled for 6:05 pm.
NBC Sports Philadelphia will have the broadcast of the game.
Mandatory Photo Credit: Philadelphia Phillies
