PHILADELPHIA — At their lowest point, on June 2, the Phillies were 25-32 and eight games out of first place. Then they went on a 13-2 roll, and when the week began, they were ... eight games out of first place.
Consider it a reminder that the Braves still reign in the NL East.
The gap is closing, to be sure. The Phillies even ousted the Braves in a playoff series last year. But just in case anyone began to think the road to the division crown would run through anywhere other than Atlanta, another refresher came Tuesday night.
In the opener of a three-game series that’s as big as series get in the middle of June, the Braves scored three late runs, J.T. Realmuto made an exceedingly rare baserunning mistake, and the Phillies bowed, 4-2, to the four-time defending kings of the NL East.
“This club’s going as good as we are,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said, modestly, before the game. “Got the same record as we do these last couple weeks. It’s a good club.”
Both teams are good. Both should make the playoffs. If they meet again, there will be more bat spikes (Rhys Hoskins was back in the Phillies’ dugout) and indelible moments.
But while the Phillies have climbed back among the ranks of the contenders with their June boon, the Braves have won 14 of 16 games to pad their best record in the league.
The Braves broke a 1-1 stalemate with two runs in the seventh inning against reliever Jeff Hoffman, who came in after starter Ranger Suárez and filled the high-leverage role typically occupied by injured Seranthony Dominguez.
Hoffman walked Orlando Arcia, gave up a single to pinch-hitting Eddie Rosario, and allowed a out-out RBI single to Ronald Acuña Jr. The Braves scored again on a groundout to open a 3-1 lead that grew to 4-1 in the eighth on Matt Olson’s homer off lefty Andrew Vasquez.
The Phillies made it interesting in the ninth, pushing across a run on a leadoff double by Bryson Stott and an RBI groundout. But Braves closer Raisel Iglesias shut down a potential rally by striking out Kyle Schwarber.
Realmuto took much of the steam out of a comeback bid in the eighth inning. With two out, a runner on first base, and the Phillies trailing by three runs, he lined a single to the gap in center field. Realmuto is among the Phillies’ smartest baserunners, but in trying to stretch a double, he made the final out at second base, with a replay review confirming the call on the field.
Power Ranger
The first six innings were mostly a duel between Suárez and Braves starter Spencer Strider, a contrast in styles but equally effective.
Strider unleashed 22 pitches that were 98 mph or faster and struck out nine batters. The Phillies put two runners on base in the first and fourth innings but didn’t score until the fifth, when Nick Castellanos stroked a first-pitch heater — Strider’s 85th pitch of the game — for a two-out single.
Suárez, meanwhile, averaged 93.7 mph on his fastball but snapped 22 curveballs, continuing a four-start trend in which his breaking ball usage has increased. It took the Braves 87 pitches to dent Suárez on Austin Riley’s game-tying homer on a cutter in the sixth inning.
In his last five starts — against the Mets, Nationals, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, and Braves — Suárez has allowed a total of five runs with 29 strikeouts and five walks in 32 2/3 innings for a 1.38 ERA.
Center stage
Before the game, Thomson said center field will be “more of a platoon” between slumping Marsh and Cristian Pache.
In that case, score one for Marsh.
The game opened with Marsh hauling in Acuña’s drive to the warning track — and letting out a skyward howl. He lined a two-strike double to right field against Strider in the third inning, then singled, tagged from second on a fly ball, and scored on Castellanos’ single in the fifth.
Marsh, who finished with three hits, entered in a 6-for-43 rut. But it’s a big week for him. With the Phillies set to face six consecutive right-handed starters against the Braves and Mets, lefty-hitting Marsh figures to get most of the playing time.
