PHILADELPHIA – The Braves won 101 regular-season games and captured a fifth consecutive National League East division title. Along the way, they appeared to have some magic and seemed like another special team.
The entire time, they had one ultimate goal: bring another World Series trophy to Atlanta.
They did not accomplish that.
The Braves on Saturday were eliminated from the postseason with an 8-3 loss to the Phillies in Game 4 of the National League Division Series. Their season ended at Citizens Bank Park after they lost the best-of-five series, 3-1.
The Braves hoped to become the first team to repeat as World Series champions since the Yankees, who won three consecutive titles from 1998-2000. Instead, the Braves, the No. 2 seed in the NL, will watch the Phillies, the NL East’s third-place team, play in the Championship Series.
On Saturday, the Phillies took the lead when Brandon Marsh launched a three-run bomb off Charlie Morton in the second inning. Morton, known for his success in elimination games, allowed those three runs over two innings before leaving because of an apparent injury that seemingly occurred when a line drive struck his right elbow in the second inning. He went out for the third, but the Braves pulled him as he warmed up.
In the bottom of the third inning, J.T. Realmuto hit a ball off the wall that bounced away from Michael Harris -- so much so that Realmuto ran the bases for an inside-the-park home run.
Once again, the Braves’ offense was quiet. Orlando Arcia (third inning), Matt Olson (fourth) and Travis d’Arnaud (seventh) launched solo home runs, but the Braves never erupted.
For a couple of innings, it felt as if the Braves trailed by a lot. But they were down only two runs.
Then the Phillies broke through again in the sixth inning. They stepped on the Braves’ throats.
With two outs in that inning, A.J. Minter “hit” Kyle Schwarber. It seemed like it might have been a questionable call. The Braves challenged it, but the call was upheld, leaving the door open for the Phillies.
Rhys Hoskins drove in a run with a blooper to right field. Realmuto followed with a soft infield single that scored another run. Bryce Harper then put a softly hit ball into left field that brought home a third run.
Just like that, the Braves trailed by five runs. This spurt effectively ended their season, though Harper homered off Kenley Jansen in the eighth inning.
This is not the way the Braves saw their season going. But they should be back.
They have built a core that includes Ronald Acuña, Austin Riley, Harris, Olson and Ozzie Albies. They will have (at least) Max Fried, Spencer Strider and Kyle Wright at the top of their rotation. Their bullpen should be strong again.
But none of that lessens the current sting of this ending for the team and its fans.
