Phillies’ momentum comes to a halt in 4-2 loss to Braves

At their lowest point, on June 2, the Phillies were 25-32 and eight games out of first place. Then they went on a 13-2 roll, and when the week began, they were ... eight games out of first place.

Consider it a reminder that the Braves still rule the NL East.

The gap is closing, to be sure. The Phillies even ousted the Braves in a playoff series last year. But just in case anyone began thinking the road to the division crown would run through anywhere other than Atlanta, another refresher came Tuesday night.

In the opener of a three-game series that’s as big as series get in the middle of June, the Braves scored three late runs, J.T. Realmuto made an exceedingly rare baserunning mistake, and the Phillies bowed, 4-2, to the five-time defending kings of the NL East.

» READ MORE: The Phillies are red-hot again, and dancing like it’s 2022

“It would’ve been great coming in, first night after an off day, and getting that ‘W,’ especially against the team that’s in first place in our division,” Bryce Harper said. “It’s a game that we definitely let get away from us.”

Let us count the ways.

1. Braves starter Spencer Strider unleashed 22 pitches that were 98 mph or faster, but also put runners on base in four of six innings. The Phillies didn’t score until Nick Castellanos’ two-out single in the fifth.

2. The seventh inning of a tie game is usually a spot for Seranthony Domínguez. But Domínguez is injured, and José Alvarado, Matt Strahm, and Yunior Marte were unavailable, according to manager Rob Thomson. Each had pitched in the last two games, although the Phillies were off Monday. Alvarado recently missed a month with an elbow injury; Strahm has thrown more innings than all of last season.

That left Jeff Hoffman, who gave up two runs in the seventh, including Ronald Acuña Jr.’s tiebreaking single.

“With his split, we felt like that was going to neutralize a little bit of their left-handed bats,” Thomson said. “But to me, the leadoff walk [to Orlando Arcia] is the deal. Because that gives them energy, gives them some momentum.”

» READ MORE: Oakland A’s fans show appreciation for Bryce Harper’s support

3. With two out, a runner on first, and the Phillies trailing by three runs, Realmuto singled to center field. He’s among the Phillies’ smartest baserunners, but in trying to stretch a double, he made the final out at second base, with a replay review confirming the call on the field.

“Just being overaggressive,” Thomson said. “Just trying to do too much.”

4. Harper got two hits (both singles) but also struck out twice with runners on base. He hasn’t homered in 96 plate appearances over 21 games, the third-longest drought of his career. Harper has often seen breaking pitches in fastball counts. He noted his eighth-inning strikeout against Braves reliever Nick Anderson.

“I get down 0-2, I’m thinking he’s going to throw me a heater in that position,” Harper said. “I sold out for the heater and swung at a [curveball] 54 feet. I just got to stay the course, right?”

That applies to the Phillies, in general, whose annual rise from the ashes in June has them back above .500 but still breathing in the Braves’ fumes. In winning 14 of 16, Atlanta has only padded its league-best record.

“This club’s going as good as we are,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said, modestly, before the game. “Got the same record as we do these last couple weeks. It’s a good club.”

The first six innings were mostly a duel between Ranger Suárez and Strider, a contrast in styles but equally effective.

While Strider uncorked his high-90s octane, Suárez averaged 93.7 mph on his fastball. But he snapped 22 curveballs, continuing a four-start trend in which his breaking ball usage has increased.

It took the Braves 87 pitches to dent Suárez on Austin Riley’s game-tying homer on a cutter in the sixth inning.

» READ MORE: Phillies prospect Griff McGarry's college roommate is making history in the majors. But what about McGarry?

“Ranger threw the crap out of it tonight,” Harper said. “I thought he went out there and did his job. One pitch to Riley. It happens. But I thought he really threw the ball well tonight.”

In his last five starts — against the Mets, Nationals, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, and Braves — Suárez has allowed a total of five runs with 29 strikeouts and five walks in 32⅔ innings for a 1.38 ERA.

Before the game, Thomson said center field will be “more of a platoon” between slumping Marsh and Cristian Pache.

In that case, score one for Marsh.

The game opened with Marsh hauling in Acuña’s drive to the warning track — and letting out a skyward howl. He lined a two-strike double to right field against Strider in the third inning, then singled, tagged from second on a fly ball, and scored on Castellanos’ single in the fifth.

Marsh, who finished with three hits, entered in a 6-for-43 rut with 43 strikeouts. But it’s a big week for him. With the Phillies set to face six consecutive right-handed starters against the Braves and Mets, lefty-hitting Marsh figures to get most of the playing time.

» READ MORE: Which Phillies are All-Stars? Sizing up the cases for six candidates