CHICAGO — In the top of the third inning on Wednesday night, Kyle Schwarber took off from second base to third base, setting himself up to score on a sacrifice fly. He jokingly tipped his cap to the dugout, and touched home plate when Bryce Harper popped up to left field, to give his team an early 1-0 lead.
It was a smart baseball move, and had the potential to set a more positive tone for the Phillies in what was a must-win game against the Cubs, a team with a record well below .500. But instead, they reverted to their old ways, losing, 4-2, because they failed to score with runners in scoring position and because Aaron Nola gave up four runs in the fifth inning.
The Phillies have now lost all five games they’ve played against the Cubs this season. They’ve lost their last four games, and nine of their last 12, and if the Brewers hold their lead over the Cardinals, the Phillies’ lead in the NL wild card standings will dwindle to just a half a game.
