Following an arduous four-hour rain delay, the Phillies found themselves struggling to ignite their offense in a disappointing 4-1 loss to the Reds on Wednesday night at a damp and chilly Citizens Bank Park.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand dealt a damaging blow with a timely double off Philadelphia's starter, Zack Wheeler, in the third inning, driving in two crucial runs. In the sixth inning, Jake Fraley and Elly De La Cruz compounded the Phillies' woes with consecutive doubles off Wheeler, further extending the Reds' lead. Nick Martini added salt to the wound with an RBI single in the ninth.
Wheeler (0-1) endured a challenging outing, conceding three runs, only one of which was earned, on three hits over six innings. He collected 10 strikeouts in the loss, marking his 22nd career game with double-digit strikeouts.
However, amidst the struggle, there was a spark of hope for the Phillies as Kyle Schwarber managed to launch a solo home run on a first pitch four-seamer from Cincinnati's starter, Frankie Montas, in the sixth inning. Schwarber's blast extended his hitting streak to five games and marked his second homer of the season.
The Phillies will have an off day on Thursday before opening a weekend set in Washington against the Nationals. The club will then head to St. Louis for a series with the Cardinals.
