PHILADELPHIA _ It's unlikely that the shortest _ and probably the worst _ start of Jake Arrieta's long career will cause Phillies manager Joe Girardi to be any less bullish about a starting rotation that he believes represents one of the strengths of the team.
But the biggest questions now, with the trade deadline only hours away, are these: What does general manager Matt Klentak think? And what will he do about it?
With a chance to sweep the Atlanta Braves on national television and move to within one game of first place in the National League, Arrieta threw a dud Sunday night. He got knocked out in the midst of a 10-run second inning that proved too much for even the Phillies' power-packed and relentless offense to overcome in a 12-10 loss at Citizens Bank Park.
The Phillies' winning streak ended at five games, and they missed an opportunity to boost their record above the .500 mark for the first time this season. With 31 games left in this 60-game sprint, they are 14-15, three games behind the division-leading Braves and tied with the Miami Marlins for second place in the National League East _ and the playoff berth that comes with it.
"I like how our team stacks up," Girardi said before Sunday night's game. "I think at times we have played really well. I think our rotation has been one of our strengths. When you're running a good starter out there every day you have a shot. That to me is very exciting. I like our team."
But could it be better?
Of course it can. And with the trade deadline set for 4 p.m. Monday, Klentak has but a few hours to continue exploring ways to improve the roster.
It appears to be a seller's market, especially with the postseason having expanded to 16 teams this year. There's pitching available, starters and relievers. But after giving up three young pitchers 10 days ago in two trades for relievers David Hale, Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree, will the Phillies be willing to give up other prospects _ and possibly push beyond the $208 million luxury-tax threshold _ for a potential short-term rotation boost (Texas lefty Mike Minor, for instance) or a more controllable starter (such as Cleveland right-hander Mike Clevinger)?
"Sometimes you can have a guy that you're interested in, but the asking price is so great that it doesn't make any sense," Girardi said. "It takes two to tango."
Girardi has done this long enough to know that, so he can only plan to go with what he has. And Arrieta didn't have nearly enough in the series finale against the Braves.
Arrieta was making his 252nd career start, 24th-most among active pitchers. It was saying something, then, that this represented his shortest start by both total pitches (46) and innings (1?). It also marked the first time ever that he gave up more runs (seven) than he recorded outs (four).
Strangely, though, Arrieta didn't exactly get rocked. Of the seven consecutive batters who reached base against him with one out in the second inning, only one went for extra bases (Austin Riley's RBI double). Otherwise, the Braves did in Arrieta with a deluge of singles and walks, the last of which was Marcell Ozuna's RBI single to the right side that went over first baseman Rhys Hoskins' glove.
With five runs in and two runners on base, the Phillies turned to reliever David Hale, who hadn't pitched in 19 days despite being acquired in a trade with the New York Yankees on Aug. 21. Hale promptly allowed three hits, including a two-run double to Nick Markakis and Riley's two-run homer.
The rout was on, right?
Wrong.
As desperate as the Phillies were to fix their bullpen 10 days ago, the Braves need help for their rotation just as badly. They acquired Milone from the Baltimore Orioles for two players to be named just to bring stability to a group that lost young ace Mike Soroka for the season to a torn right Achilles tendon, has not yet gotten an inning from Cole Hamels because of triceps tendinitis, and saw struggling Mike Foltynewicz and Sean Newcomb get demoted.
But the Braves need more than Milone, a 33-year-old lefty who is with his eighth team in 10 years. Staked to a 10-run lead by his new club, he gave back one run in the second inning on Didi Gregorius' homer and six in the third. The Phillies hit for the cycle against Milone in the big inning, getting singles from Roman Quinn, J.T. Realmuto, and Jean Segura, an RBI double from Andrew McCutchen, a two-run homer from Hoskins, and a two-run triple from Gregorius.
The Phillies added another run in the fourth inning and even brought the go-ahead run to the plate. That's when the Braves turned to their crew of late-inning studs, and A.J. Minter, Chris Martin, and Shane Greene stalled the comeback for the better part of the next three innings.
But the Phillies awoke again in the eighth against Braves setup man Will Smith. Quinn and McCutchen clocked back-to-back solo homers to cut the margin to 11-10.
But there's a reason why they haven't come back from a 10-run deficit since June 8, 1989 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
It's really, really difficult, and Braves closer Mark Melancon slammed the door on them in the ninth.
