Jose Alvarado blows it in the 8th, Phillies fall to 7-8 on the season

The Phillies had a 3-2 lead heading into the eighth inning on Sunday and Jose Alvarado gave it back. Tying run scores. Inherited runner scores. Diamondbacks win 4-3. The Phillies drop to 7-8 and split the series with Arizona.

Alvarado has a 12.60 ERA in eight appearances this season. That number is a problem and it showed up in the worst possible moment on Sunday afternoon.

The offense did enough to win. Trea Turner hit a two-run homer in the sixth to give the Phillies the lead. Schwarber and Harper hit back-to-back doubles to push it to 3-2. That should have been enough. The bullpen made sure it was not.

Trea Turner Game-Tying 2-Run Home Run

Trea Turner's first home run of 2026 ties the game! pic.twitter.com/CRw7rurpda

— MLB (@MLB) April 12, 2026

Bryce Harper Go-Ahead RBI Double

MV3 for the lead! pic.twitter.com/KUGz4NwVf6

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 12, 2026

The Painter story deserves its own paragraph because it is genuinely wild. He was scratched with a migraine 35 minutes before first pitch. Zach Pop was announced as the emergency starter. Then Painter walked out of the Phillies clubhouse before the game, said he felt better, and came in for Pop in the third inning.

He retired the first nine batters he faced, finished with seven strikeouts and a career-high 14 swing and misses across five innings of one-run ball. For a kid who woke up with a migraine on game day that is a remarkable performance and one that got completely overshadowed by the bullpen losing the lead he handed them.

Andrew Painter strikes out Ildemaro Vargas with a filthy curveball. pic.twitter.com/DsqMmV0Kos

— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) April 12, 2026

With the loss, the Phillies are now 7-8 on the season with the Chicago Cubs in town starting tomorrow night.

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