The Phillies had chances. Oh, they had chances. But out west, on a chilly night at Oracle Park, they ran into a familiar trap: missed opportunities, a late-inning stumble, and just enough Giants small ball to spoil the opener of a crucial road swing.
The final score read 3-1 San Francisco on Monday night, but the story was one of frustration.
Casey Schmitt, back in the Giants’ lineup after a 10-game absence, hit a slow roller in the eighth inning that became the go-ahead RBI. Then Matt Chapman went headfirst into home plate moments later on a grounder to second, scoring an insurance run on sheer guts and timing.
By the time Camilo Doval finished things off with a 14th save — getting J.T. Realmuto to line out after a 13-pitch battle and then inducing a game-ending 3-6 double play — the Phillies were left looking for answers.
The inning that unraveled everything? The eighth.
Orion Kerkering, summoned to keep the game tied, hit Willy Adames with a pitch to open the frame. Chapman followed with a single, moving Adames to third. Then Kerkering plunked Wilmer Flores to load the bases with nobody out. Schmitt’s grounder brought home one. Chapman’s hustle brought home another.
Cristopher Sánchez, perhaps silently perturbed about an All-Star snub, was strong again. He worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the second by striking out Jung Hoo Lee and allowing only a groundout RBI to Luis Matos. The walk to Matos — Sánchez’s first in five starts — snapped a career-best streak of 27.1 innings without a free pass.
He allowed just one run over six innings. Again.
But the Phillies’ offense went silent.
Their lone run came in the fifth, when Giants starter Landen Roupp uncorked a wild pitch that allowed the tying run to score. Kyle Schwarber singled to start the eighth, giving the Phillies a shot at another late rally. But Tyler Rogers worked out of it with a flyout, a fielder’s choice, and a strikeout.
From there, Doval took over, and the bats stayed frozen.
The Phillies had won five of seven heading into the night. They’d scored runs in bunches. But on Monday in San Francisco, they found themselves playing from behind once again — and this time, they couldn’t hit their way out.
To say this offense is streaky would be an understatement.
They’ll try again Tuesday. But this one? This one got away.
They’ll try again Tuesday. But this one? This one got away.
Quotable
The Phillies are a combined 0-for-21 over the last three games with runners in scoring position.
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