The Phillies’ once-comfortable lead in the National League East is now down to six games after Tuesday night’s 3-1 loss to the Braves at Truist Park.
With 37 games remaining, the path to their first division title since 2011 has become more precarious, requiring not just a steady hand but also a watchful eye on the Dodgers and Brewers, who are breathing down their necks in the race for the best record in the National League.
Opening a pivotal three-game series, the Braves—six-time reigning division champions—moved within striking distance of the Phillies. The rivals will face off six more times in the next 12 games, a stretch that could drastically reshape the standings. For Atlanta, dealing with the recent blow of losing slugging third baseman Austin Riley for the remainder of the regular season, Tuesday’s victory was a critical lifeline.
Marcell Ozuna delivered the decisive blow, breaking a 1-1 tie in the sixth inning with his 37th home run of the season—a 432-foot blast off Zack Wheeler (12-6). Wheeler, seeking his 100th career win, was thwarted by a Braves lineup that seems to have found its stride at the right moment. José Alvarado’s struggles in the eighth, where he walked four batters and forced in an insurance run, underscored a night where the Phillies were outplayed at crucial moments.
Reynaldo López, returning from the injured list, provided Atlanta with five dominant innings, striking out 10 and stifling the Phillies’ offense. Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, and Bryce Harper combined to go 0-for-12 with seven strikeouts, as Philadelphia’s final 17 batters were retired in order—a sign of an offense that has gone cold at a critical juncture.
Adding insult to injury, Whit Merrifield—released by the Phillies on July 22—tormented his former club with a triple, a double, and a walk, marking his first multi-extra-base-hit game of the season. Since Merrifield’s departure, the Phillies have stumbled to a 13-19 record, a slide that could haunt them as they approach the postseason.
Now tied with the Brewers (73-52) and trailing the Dodgers (75-52) by just a game, the Phillies are at risk of missing out on a first-round bye. Finishing with the third-best record in the NL would mean hosting a Wild Card Series—a scenario they’d hoped to avoid. As the regular season winds down, the margin for error has narrowed considerably, and the Phillies will need to rediscover their form quickly to keep their division title hopes alive.
