ATLANTA — Charlie Morton threw just three pitches Tuesday night and the Phillies had two baserunners.
They arrived at Truist Park with slim postseason hopes, but it seemed as if they were not ready to let them fade when Odubel Herrera and Jean Segura started the first inning of a 2-1 loss to the Braves with singles.
Except that was the extent of the rally. The next three batters — Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, and Brad Miller — went down on nine pitches and the Phillies limped through a crucial game before another rally fell short in the ninth.
Morton struck out 10 batters in seven innings against the Phillies, who have scored just one run in their last 21 innings. Zack Wheeler allowed two runs in seven innings, but that was one too many when the offense came up short.
The loss, which ruled the Phillies out of the wild-card race, did not eliminate them from the postseason, but it sure made it difficult to see playoff baseball returning to South Philly for the first time in 10 years.
Atlanta’s magic number is now just three and the Braves will have Max Fried — one of baseball’s premier pitchers in the second half — on the mound Wednesday night against a lineup that struggles against left-handed pitching. The Braves can clinch their fourth straight division title by sweeping the Phillies.
The Phillies fizzled in the first inning before putting runners on first and second with two outs in the fourth after Miller and Andrew McCutchen worked back-to-back walks. But that threat also proved fruitless as Morton whiffed Didi Gregorius on four pitches.
They loaded the bases with one out in the ninth after Eddie Rosario dropped a hard-hit liner by Matt Vierling and the Braves intentionally walked McCutchen. Gregorius’ sacrifice fly brought in Harper, who walked to start the inning. But the rally was just a tease as Freddy Galvis struck out to end the game.
Wheeler’s night
Wheeler put the Phillies in position, but his seven innings were wasted by a listless offense. He struck out seven, walked one, and allowed just four hits. The only damage he allowed was a two-run single by Jorge Soler in the third, which proved to be an insurmountable hole for the Phillies.
Wheeler, who threw 93 pitches, leads the majors in innings pitched with 213 1/3, so it will be interesting to see if he pitches Sunday’s season finale in Miami if the team is eliminated by then from the postseason.
It could be a way to start Wheeler’s offseason early after a heavy workload, but it would also be his last chance to finalize his Cy Young case. He leads the majors in strikeouts (247) and his ERA (2.78) ranks fifth in the NL.
It’s going to take a lot for the Phillies to remain in contention by Sunday, which could leave them with a decision to make on Wheeler.
No extra-base hits
The Phillies had just three hits, all of which were singles. Their lineup has just three extra-base hits — two of which are solo homers — in their last three games. Before that, the Phillies had averaged 6.1 runs per game with 71 extra-base hits over a 10-game span that saw them go 8-2.
The offense looked strong against teams like the Cubs and Orioles, but the competition stiffened Tuesday in Atlanta. After two batters, it seemed as if they were up to the task. But the Phillies, needing their lineup to stay hot to chase down Atlanta, seem to be running on fumes.
