PHILADELPHIA _ The Phillies were "refreshed and optimistic," manager Gabe Kapler said, when they arrived Friday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park.
They were off Thursday, had won five of their last six, and were able to rest several players in the final game of a five-game road trip as they shifted their attention to a weekend series against first-place Atlanta.
But that optimism faded quickly Friday night in a 9-2 loss to the Braves. Jake Arrieta struggled to complete five innings, the offense coughed up early opportunities, and Kapler seemed to turn the page early to Saturday when he opted for the less-relied-upon Cole Irvin in the sixth inning of a four-run game.
The Phillies spent a week beating up on the cellar-dwelling Pirates and Tigers before returning home to be thumped by the Braves. It was the type of night that made Atlanta's division lead feel like 16 { instead of 6 {. Maybe the Phillies needed more rest.
Yes, it was just one loss. Yes, the Phillies will have Aaron Nola pitch this weekend. But Friday night was no way to start a series that could have jump-started the team's chances to fight for a division title.
This weekend seems to be the Phillies' best chance to indicate to the front office how real a contender they are before Wednesday's trade deadline. Friday was not their best look.
"I think there's conceptually the fact we understand we are playing a division rival, and sometimes those games take on an added importance and rightfully so," Kapler said before the game. "And at the same time we look at all of the games in isolation, and all of the games are greatly important for us to win. I think you guys know me well enough to know I do follow the standings. I do read articles. So I know who we are playing and why that's important."
Arrieta, pitching with a bone spur in his right elbow, was plagued by a loss of velocity before the Braves jumped him in the fifth. It is fair to wonder how much longer Arreita can pitch before having surgery. But it's also fair to wonder how the Phillies, ever thin on starting pitchers, could replace him.
His sinker's average velocity dropped more than 2 mph from the first inning to the fifth. Brian McCann greeted him in the fifth with a first-pitch homer to start a four-run rally. The Phillies were then in a five-run hole, which was enough for Kapler to have Irvin warm in the bullpen.
Since being shifted to a relief role, Irvin has seldom been used in a high-leverage situation. The Phillies had a rested bullpen and are off again on Monday. But this seemed like a move by the manager to accept a series-opening defeat, preserve his bullpen, and move on to Saturday.
The Phillies scored a run in the bottom of the fifth, but Kapler's decision did not change. They had the runners on the corners in the fourth and loaded the bases in the fifth, but a four-run deficit seemed to be insurmountable. They had 11 hits, but just two were for extra-bases.
So Irvin entered, gave up four runs in the sixth inning, and defeat no longer had to be accepted. It was realized.
The Phillies were booed as the final out was made. They were no longer refreshed and it was hard to be optimistic.
