The Philadelphia Phillies lost their second straight game on Thursday night, falling to the Braves 3-1. Their record drops to 21-37.
On The Mound
- Ben Lively made his second start, and turned in a quality outing, allowing three runs over seven innings.
- Lively allowed two runs in the first, but settled down to allow just one run over his final six frames.
- Edubray Ramos pitched a scoreless eighth.
At The Plate
- The offense managed just one run on four hits.
- Maikel Franco drove in the team’s lone run with an RBI single, finishing the night 1-4.
- Odubel Herrera went 1-4 with another double.
- Tommy Joseph and Freddy Galvis had the team’s other hits, going 1-4 with singles.
- Michael Saunders was given a start in right and went 0-3.
- Cesar Hernandez and Aaron Altherr each went 0-4.
Final Thoughts
Well, the four-game win streak was fun while it lasted. Now the Phillies’ offense is right back to where they were, completely unable to generate any offensive pressure.
I can’t imagine why Pete Mackanin is still giving Michael Saunders significant playing time at this point. With Howie Kendrick and Daniel Nava back from the DL, Saunders, who is hitting just .210, should be limited to a strict bench role.
The good news from this game was Ben Lively with another strong showing. Lively has gone seven innings in each of his first two starts, a feat that the entire rotation has struggled all season to achieve.
