PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — There are certain wins and losses that stand out in a 162-game baseball season. Wednesday afternoon’s game between the Phillies and Nationals will stand out as one of the Phillies’ toughest defeats.
The Phillies blew leads of 5-0, 9-5, and 12-11, and ultimately lost to Washington 13-12. It was a disastrous defeat for a host of reasons.
It dropped the Phillies to 34-37 and into fourth place in the National League East. It was the second straight loss against a division rival, as the Nationals swept the two-game series. It was also the sixth loss in eight games for Joe Girardi’s squad. And, it was another blown save for Hector Neris and a missed opportunity for Alec Bohm and his teammates to gain ground in the division race.
“Credit to those guys,” said Bohm. “They grinded out a ton of at-bats. They walked a lot. They earned their walks for the most part and they ended up getting the big hit multiple times.”
It has been a maddening cycle for the Phillies and their fans this season. They pitch well on days when their hitting struggles and hit well on days when their pitching struggles.
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Perhaps the biggest issue has been Neris, who blew his third save in his last five opportunities. Girardi said he will use the upcoming off day to evaluate his closer situation. Neris said he is prepared for whatever his manager decides.
“I want to support the team,” Neris said. “If he thinks he has to move me right now, I know I’ll have to just keep working and help the team in some other way. I just want to help the team for pitching.”
The Phillies will try to get back on track with a critical four-game series with the first-place Mets this weekend. There is still more than half a season to play, but it is easy to understand the importance of this series.
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Bryce Harper believes the series could make or break the fortunes of the Phillies going forward.
“You can go one way or you can go the other way,” he said. “As a team, we need to re-group as quick as possible. We need to be able to go into this weekend and get through it and hopefully win the series. Take it one game at a time.”
No matter who becomes the closer or what changes may come before the trade deadline, the Phillies know they are fortunate to still be in the hunt in the NL East. Several teams have struggled in what was supposed to be one of the toughest divisions in baseball. Girardi hopes his team will respond with a golden opportunity awaiting them in New York.
“We’re pretty fortunate that no one’s ran away with it in our division,” Girardi said. “We have a chance, obviously, to pick up some ground this weekend, but we need to play better.”