Anything that can go wrong…
Last night, the Phillies scored thirteen runs. Maybe that’s why they seemed so snakebitten in today’s loss. I’m not personally a triskaidekaphobe, but baseball players are a superstitious (though certainly not cowardly) lot. But while we can’t rule out unlucky thirteen as a cause, the more likely explanation for today’s quiet showing from the Phillies bats goes by the name of Schwellenbach.
Kyle Schwarber lined a ball over the head of Eli White in center, ending up on second. He was stranded there when Spencer Schwellenbach struck out Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos, the latter of whom accrued all his strikes on a trio of fastballs, each a different type (four-seam, then sinker, then splitter).
The Braves, perhaps trying to make up for last night’s scoreless showing, got off to a quick start with a pair of singles from Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson, putting runners on the corners with none out. Jesús Luzardo struck out Marcell Ozuna, then allowed a sluggish dribbler off the end of the bat of Austin Riley, less of a worm killer than a worm tickler. Still, it ended up dribbling to a gap in the infield, with Bryson Stott unable to reach it in time to prevent the single and the run from scoring. An odd play, but the Phillies recovered from it by inducing the next batter to ground into a double play to end the inning.
But the Braves got off to another fast start in the second, with White walking and Stuart Fairchild doubling to put runners on first and second with only one away. A single to left from Nick Allen scored White; Fairchild, following close behind, was put out with a connection between Max Kepler and J.T. Realmuto.
The next two innings went quickly, with seven batters and four strikeouts between the two teams. It took until the top of the sixth for the Phillies to put their second baserunner on (Brandon Marsh, single to right). It would not take long for them to get their third, and their fourth. Marsh stole second as Kyle Schwarber walked, and a single from Alec Bohm to enter scored his bearded compatriot.
Joe Ross took over for Luzardo in the bottom sixth, allowing a leadoff double and a walk, but successfully navigated through the inning with no outs. Schwellenbach pitched through the seventh, acquiring a total of 12 strikeouts along the way. Jordan Romano took the mound for the Phillies after Ross and got a quick out before loading the bases with a trio of singles. The last of these slipped right past the glove of a sliding Stott; the luck and pluck that had allowed the Phillies to pummel the Atlantas last night had seemingly abandoned them.
What happened next was ugly (though beauty being in the eye of the beholder, it might’ve appeared quite lovely to those of a Peach State persuasion). With Sean Murphy at the plate, Romano tossed a slider that slid right into the middle of the plate. As soon as the ball came off the bespectacled backstop’s bat, Romano folded over, hands on his knees, glum face turned towards a dismal sight: the ball flying over the left field wall for a grand slam, and a 6-1 lead for the detested foe.
Schwellenbach made his exit, and Raisel Iglesias took over. The Phillies put two baserunners on against him (Otto Kemp via single, Schwarber via HBP), though made no progress in narrowing the gap.
Daniel Robert, freshly called up from Lehigh Valley to make his Phillies debut, took the mound for the bottom 8th. He immediately allowed Nick Allen to reach via single, but a strike ‘em out-throw ‘em out twin killing put him and another away, and a strikeout of Olson ended the inning.
The Phillies entered the ninth down five, with Rafael Montero on the mound. The first two Phillies went down quickly, but Realmuto valiantly battled through eleven pitches before flying out to center, tossing his bat down in frustration as a letdown game came to a quiet end.
The Phillies are 48-35. First pitch in the rubber match is tomorrow at 1:35.