The Phillies battled back but could not overtake the Reds as they dropped the final of their three-game set 7-4 on Wednesday afternoon. Aaron Nola took the loss, his fourth of the season, after allowing fours runs over five innings pitched. Trea Turner reached base three times while Alec Bohm and Edmundo Sosa each hit home runs on the day.
The loss signifies the Phillies’ first series loss since April 26, the last loss with Rob Thomson at the helm. Had the Phillies managed to scrape out a victory against the Reds, they would have been just the second team since 1900 to lose six straight series and then win seven straight, as the Pirates did in 1975.
The Phillies managed an early lead without recording a base hit in the bottom of the first.
Trea Turner led off the bottom of the first as usual, reaching on a walk. He then used his speed to advance, stealing second. His stolen base forced a throwing error from Reds catcher P.J. Higgins, allowing Turner to advance to third. Adolis García, a new addition to the top of the lineup as the Phillies continue to operate without a sick Kyle Schwarber, then worked his own walk to put runners on the corners for the Phillies.
Bryce Harper used the Phillies’ first out to score Turner, hitting a sacrifice fly into left field. Turner out-sped the throw home by inches, getting in under the tag.
Aaron Nola has not been the same in recent years. While he slowly climbs the franchise leaderboard in starts on the mound, having just passed Cole Hamels for fourth all-time at 295, his starts have increasingly become a burden on the Phillies.
After a quiet 1-2-3 first inning, Nola got into trouble as the Phillies gave him a lead in the top of the second. The leadoff hitter, Sal Stewart, reached base on a double down the right field line. Spencer Steer followed up with a single before Nathaniel Lowe hit his own double, scoring Stewart and moving Steer to third.
Nola then worked two outs including a grounder from Will Benson to score Steer. With two outs, Higgins singled into left field, scoring Lowe to give the Reds an early 3-1 advantage.
The Reds tacked on an additional run in the fourth as Blake Dunn reached base on a leadoff triple into center field. The ball took an odd hop off the center field fence, ricocheting over the head of Brandon Marsh. A single from Higgins later scored Dunn.
Andrew Abbott settled in after allowing Turner to score in the first inning. The Phillies’ first hit against him came in the bottom of the fourth, an infield single from Brandon Marsh. Marsh was then almost immediately caught with his pants down as Steer made a jumping catch on a line drive from Edmundo Sosa. Marsh, who had broke for second already, was left with nothing to do but watch Steer complete the double play with a throw to first.
The fifth inning found the offense coming a bit closer. Turner reached base for his third time on the day, this time with a two-out single past the first baseman. With García at the plate, Turner went for his second stolen base of the day. He was left there, however, as García was caught swinging at a low sweeper to end the inning.
Nola’s day came to an end after five innings of four-run baseball. The Reds notched eight hits off Nola while he got to five strikeouts on the day. Nola’s ERA slipped back to 6.04 for the season.
When asked about Nola’s performance, interim manager Don Mattingly stated he was “better than [in] Pittsburgh… just the bottom of the lineup kind of hurt us.”
Tim Mayza entered the game in relief for the sixth inning. After recording the first out on a ground out, Mayza allowed back-to-back doubles, eventually scoring Dunn to increase the Red’s lead to 5-1.
The Phillies had chances throughout the contest to score off Abbott. J.T. Realmuto and Bryce Harper both hit opposite field fly balls against Abbott, both times getting caught on the warning track. Alec Bohm finally drove one just a bit further, sliding one 353 feet down the left field line.
Later in the inning, with two outs, Marsh reached base on a single into right field. Marsh then swiped the fourth bag of the game for the Phillies, joining García and Turner, who swiped two.
A stolen base does not matter when the next batter hits a home run, however. Edmundo Sosa brought the Phillies within one run, driving a changeup from reliever Brock Burke 396 feet in left field.
The home run was Sosa’s second on the year with his first coming on April 14.
Mayza stepped back onto the mound for the seventh. After striking out Elly De LA Cruz, Mayza let JJ Bleday reach on a single.
With one on and one out, the Phillies brought in Orion Kerkering. Sal Stewart put runners on the corners with a single into right field. Two batters later, after a strikeout to Steer, Lowe cleared the bases with a double into center field, scoring two.
Bohm later made an error receiving a throw from Turner to end the inning, but the error was inconsequential as no further Reds scored in the inning.
Jose Alvarado then got the ball for the ninth inning, attempting to keep the Phillies in the ball game. Bleday hit a leadoff single before Stewart hit a two-run home run, essentially ending the Phillies’ chances at a comeback. Alvarado retired the next three batters in order, but the job was already done at that point.
Bryson Stott reached on a two-out double in the bottom of the ninth but would not score as the Phillies dropped the contest 9-4.
After the random May heat wave, the Phillies will have a moment to catch their breath with an off day on Thursday. They will return to action next on Friday when Cristopher Sánchez is scheduled to take the mound against the Cleveland Guardians. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m.
