Limping to the finish line: Brewers 4

Fighting for a playoff spot, the Phillies needed a win on Thursday night. Thanks to continued struggles from the offense and another poor night from the bullpen, they didn’t get it. Not only did they lose the game to the Brewers 4-1, but they likely lost Luis Arraez to injury as well.

If you want a positive from the game, it’s that starting pitcher Andrew Painter looked good. He worked around five hits and three walks to limit the Brewers to one run in six innings.

After stranding a battalion of runners on base on Wednesday night, the Phillies didn’t have many runners on board to strand on Thursday. The Brewers went with a bullpen game, which for some teams is a disadvantage, but the Phillies looked overmatched. They had just four hits on the night, with only one coming after the third inning.

The Brewers took an early lead thanks to a walk, infield single, and an RBI double by Sal Frelick in the second.

The Phillies’ lone burst of competent offense came in the third when Kyle Schwarber led off with a double, advanced to third on a dugout, and came home on a single by Bryce Harper.

Painter kept the Phillies in the game throughout his six innings, and Alex McFarlane was able to work around some wildness (with a big assist from some charitable strike calls) in the seventh to preserve the tie.

Jose Alvarado was not as effective in the eighth. With his fastball topping out in the mid-90s, he walked the leadoff hitter then gave up two straight singles to put the Brewers in front 2-1.

With one out, Chase Shugart was brought in for a rare higher leverage appearance. He gave up weak contact, but weak contact can be effective if well-placed. Thanks to a ground ball through a drawn-in infield and a bloop single to center, the Brewers extended the lead to 4-1.

The Phillies would not make a comeback.

If that wasn’t bad enough, Luis Arraez was injured trying to avoid a tag at first base. Early reports are that it is an ankle strain, and based on how he was limping, it seems unlikely that he’ll be appearing in any more games this season. I suppose someone else will have to put up a sub-.700 OPS in his stead.

The Phillies now have three games remaining in the season, with the AL-leading Rays coming to town this weekend. The Rays may or may not be trying their hardest, but the way the Phillies’ offense and bullpen have performed lately, it isn’t clear if that will even matter.