Phillies’ bats continue to slumber as playoff chances take a hit with 2-0 loss to Rays
With a win on Friday night, the Diamondbacks can move within one game of the Phillies, who could only muster four hits against the Rays, wasting a 10-strikeout outing by Cristopher Sánchez.
The boos began in the first inning, when the team with nothing left to play for took the lead over the team that still had everything.
With the best record in the American League, the Tampa Bay Rays have already secured a bye to the Division Series. Their final three regular season games at Citizens Bank Park were nothing more than a playoff tune-up, and perhaps an opportunity to play spoiler against the Phillies.
The 40,133 home fans were already getting restless when the Rays hit three straight two-out singles against Phillies ace Cristopher Sánchez to take a 1-0 lead in the first. The boos became more widespread an inning later, when Tampa Bay’s eight-hole hitter Nick Fortes hit just his sixth homer of the season.
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And they really started to catch on when Trea Turner and Brandon Marsh each struck out to end an inning and strand a runner. As the Phillies offense slogged along in the eventual 2-0 loss to the Rays, boos became a familiar soundtrack.
The magic number has not budged from two, where it has stood for the last three games. In that span, the Phillies have scored two total runs.
Focus has shifted from who the Phillies might play next week to if they might play anyone at all. The Padres, who are still fighting for home-field advantage for the wild-card series, could help them out later on Friday night with a win over the Diamondbacks. But an Arizona win would bring them within a game of the Phillies for the final wild-card spot.
The Rays only led by two after the second, as Sánchez started to get on a roll the deeper he got into the game. He struck out the final seven Rays he faced, his 99th pitch of the game — a changeup — diving beneath the bat of Jorge Mateo to end the seventh.
But two runs may as well have been Mount Everest for the Phillies offense.
They only truly threatened in the sixth inning, when consecutive singles from Trea Turner and Bryce Harper put two runners on with zero out. But Alec Bohm grounded out and Bryson Stott and Bryan De La Cruz lined out to leave them there.
NL wild-card standings
In a desperation move, the Phillies called on closer Jhoan Duran for the eighth inning. He delivered a clean frame, using 14 pitches, and if the offense could get something going he likely would have returned for the ninth. But instead, Kyle Schwarber, Turner, and Harper went down in order, with Harper striking out on a cutter outside to end it.
Tim Mayza instead pitched the ninth. Boos chorused again when he gave up a single and a walk to put two runners on, but he struck out Fortes looking to end it.
In the bottom of the frame, the offense again went down in order, with a lineout and two fly outs. By then, most of the 40,133 had already left. But boos could still be heard.
Let's talk about the Phillies' bullpen. Larry Andersen happens to be an expert on the subject. The popular Phillies radio analyst had a 17-year major-league career in which he appeared in 699 games – all but one in relief. He joins Phillies Extra to break down the biggest question standing between the Phillies and a long run through October: How will they bridge the gap to closer Jhoan Duran? Watch here.
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