ATLANTA — Facing the reigning World Series champion Braves in their home ballpark never was going to be an easy task, and for the first seven innings of the game, the Phillies played a pesky brand of baseball, one that seemed to be working against the Braves. Then came the eighth.
Seranthony Domínguez — who has been the Phillies’ most dominant closer all season — entered the game, and promptly gave up five earned runs in two-thirds of an inning, which is a season-high for him. In fact, the first time Domínguez had given up more than two earned runs since April 19 in Colorado.
Unable to finish the inning, Domínguez exited for Nick Nelson, who allowed two hits and another earned run to give the Braves a six-run-eighth inning and a 7-2 lead. To make matters worse, Phillies outfielders botched a routine fly ball from Ozzie Albies that would have ended the inning. Instead, it scored a run. It was an ugly sequence of events.
