The Braves were supposed to get a break in Philadelphia.
After a two-week run of games against playoff contenders, including the majors-best Dodgers, the Phillies offered the chance for a respite. They’d played better lately but still had the worst record in the majors.
But there would be no breather for the Braves. Instead, the Phillies roughed them up.
The Phillies won 7-6 on Monday to complete the four-game series sweep and finish 7-0 at home against the Braves. The Braves (48-56) lost their fifth straight game and eighth of nine.
The Braves finished 3-8 on their trip and return to SunTrust Park for a rematch with the Dodgers on Tuesday.
“It’s been a long road trip,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “We knew we were going into a gauntlet there when we left home. This team here (the Phillies), don’t look at their record, they’ve got some good players on this club. They are doing (the rebuild) the right way. They’ve got some young, talented guys that are really good.”
After sweeping the Diamondbacks on July 14-16 in Atlanta, the Braves were 45-45. They were six games behind the Rockies for the second NL wild card.
But the Braves are 3-11 since then. After the Cubs swept them, the Braves started the trip with two victories at the Dodgers and earned a four-game split. They lost two of three at the Diamondbacks.
Then came the sweep by the Phillies (39-64).
“We put ourselves in this situation,” Braves second baseman Brandon Phillips said. “We know we are way better than how we’ve been playing. But I can say I am very proud of our team — before coming to Philly. I thought we were going to get some wins here. Nobody saw this coming, for us to get swept here in Philly.”
The Braves did finally find some offensive spark late in the series finale after they’d scored a total of seven runs over the first three games. The final surge came against right-hander Hector Neris in the ninth inning.
With one out and a 7-5 lead, Neris hit Phillips with a pitch and walked Freddie Freeman. Nick Markakis scored Phillips with a single and just missed getting an extra-base hit.
Markakis’ sharp ground ball down the first-base line hit the part of the seating bowl that juts into foul territory. It bounced directly to right fielder Aaron Altherr, who threw to the infield to hold Freeman at third base.
The next batter, Kurt Suzuki, flied out to end the game.
“It hits a freakin’ half inch of concrete and comes right back into the field of play, or the game is tied,” Snitker said.
Philies right-hander Nick Pivetta held the Braves to three hits over six innings and departed with a 6-1 lead. The Braves scored three runs against reliever Jesen Therrien in the seventh on Suzuki’s two-run homer and Lane Adams’ pinch-hit RBI single.
Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco hit a solo home run against reliever Sam Freeman in the seventh to push the lead to 7-4. Freddie Freeman matched that with a lead-off homer in the eighth that reduced the deficit to 7-5.
Ultimately, the Braves couldn’t overcome the hole created by starting pitcher Mike Foltynewicz. He lasted just four innings and gave up five earned runs, including Odubel Herrera’s three-run homer in the third.
“I just feel bad that I let the team down early,” Foltynewicz said. “I let the bullpen down early. They had to keep us in the game, which they did a pretty good job. Six runs should be enough to win the ballgame but I just couldn’t stop the bleeding in the third.”
The Braves went 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position. They were 6-for-40 in that situation for the Phillies series and 11-for-68 over the past nine games.
Following Freeman’s homer in the eighth, the Braves loaded the bases with two outs against right-hander Luis Garcia. He struck out pinch hitter Tyler Flowers to end the rally.
Braves outfielder Danny Santana hit a one-out triple in the fifth inning. Johan Camargo and Micah Johnson grounded out to leave him stranded.
Braves first baseman Matt Adams doubled to lead off the second and Markakis followed with a walk. But after Suzuki flied out near the warning track, Adams broke for home on Santana’s ground ball to shortstop Freddy Galvis and got caught in a rundown.
“These kind of runs happen every now and then and you’ve just got to grind through them,” Snitker said. “There’s nothing else to do. Nobody is going to feel sorry for you. You’ve got to make your own good luck. We just show up tomorrow and go out there and win a game.”
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