PHILADELPHIA — As Matt Olson made his newest two deposits at Residents Financial institution Park on Thursday night time, it seemed as if the Braves had legitimately rekindled their hopes for a seventh straight division title. However that pleasure was rapidly changed with the frustration created by squandering a four-run sixth-inning lead.
Olson’s second multihomer recreation of the month wasn’t sufficient for the Braves in a troublesome 5-4 loss to the Phillies. Charlie Morton’s scoreless bid ended with Brandon Marsh’s three-run homer within the sixth, then Grant Holmes surrendered Nick Castellanos’ game-winning two-run residence run within the seventh.
“We have been making an attempt to win all these video games,” supervisor Brian Snitker mentioned. “[The Phillies] are membership and this was a troublesome loss. What do we’ve got, [28 games] left? They’re all going to be powerful losses whenever you don’t win. We’re not going to go [28-0]. So, it’s going to occur.”
However the best way this newest loss occurred created somewhat additional sting.
With a win, the Braves would have moved to inside 4 video games of the first-place Phillies within the Nationwide League East. It might have been Atlanta’s smallest division deficit since sitting simply 3 1/2 video games again on the finish of play on Could 17. Abruptly, hopes for a seventh straight NL East title may need appeared legit.
However after blowing the lead and this chance, Atlanta finds itself six video games again with 28 to play. It’s a tall job, however the Braves can nonetheless preserve issues fascinating by profitable every of the three remaining video games on this four-game set in Philadelphia. The excellent news for Atlanta is it nonetheless holds a three-game lead over the Mets for the ultimate NL Wild Card spot.
“Nothing actually fazes this crew,” Holmes mentioned. “We are available on daily basis and attempt to do our greatest, win or lose. So, we’ll are available tomorrow and attempt to win one other recreation.”
Morton dealt with the Phillies by way of the primary 5 innings earlier than surrendering a single to 2 of the primary three hitters he confronted within the sixth. That set the stage for the left-handed-hitting Marsh, who had struck out in every of his first two plate appearances of the night time. That left him simply 2-for-12 (.167) with 9 strikeouts in his profession in opposition to Morton.
“[Morton] was going to undergo till [Kyle] Schwarber,” Snitker mentioned. “If I’d have identified he was going to hit a homer, I’d have most likely taken him out. I don’t have that luxurious. He’s matchup there. I like Charlie’s breaking ball [against Marsh]. He popped him up, and the wind blew it out.”
Morton used two curveballs and a two-strike fastball to strike out Marsh within the second inning. He used three curves and one heater to set him down once more within the fourth. He missed with a curveball outdoors to start the sixth-inning matchup, then left one up and on the outer third. The ball got here off Marsh’s bat at 100.7 mph and appeared to catch a pleasant wind stream that carried it over the left-center-field wall.
“I do know he barrelled it, however I do know the trajectory of the ball was fairly excessive,” Morton mentioned. “So after I’m trying, I’m like, ‘Oh my goodness, that ball goes to proceed to go and go.’ It went over the wall.”
As for Holmes, he actually regrets not throwing a breaking ball to Castellanos, who entered Thursday having been thrown a fastball simply 45% of the time this 12 months. That was the bottom proportion among the many 338 MLB gamers who had seen at the least 750 pitches this 12 months.
Holmes acquired Castellanos to swing by way of a first-pitch fastball. He opted to comply with with one other. This one was barely increased and somewhat extra over the center of the plate. Castellanos crushed the heater over the center-field wall to erase Atlanta’s lead.
“I threw the primary [fastball] and he swung and missed it,” Holmes mentioned. “I simply did not put [the second one] in the best spot.”
Holmes regretted not throwing a breaking ball, and as this week has progressed, the Braves have regretted not having left-handed reliever A.J. Minter, who underwent season-ending hip surgical procedure final week. Minter’s absence, mixed with some current struggles from Jesse Chavez and Luke Jackson, has made the bullpen’s depth a priority.
The injury-depleted lineup was a priority many of the 12 months. However manufacturing has improved with the resurgence of Olson, who has 4 homers in his previous 22 at-bats. He has 10 homers and a .997 OPS over 28 video games going again to July 31.
“We’ve been getting large hits and conserving the road transferring with large innings,” Snitker mentioned. “It simply didn’t occur tonight.”
