The Philadelphia Phillies suffered their tenth-straight loss on Friday, falling to the division rival Atlanta Braves as they increased the gap in the National League East standings.
And the latest loss didn’t just sting because of the ongoing skid or the division rivalry. It also saw the Phillies give up a lead to the Braves in particularly heartbreaking fashion, as Michael Harris II scored two runs in the sixth inning as a pinch hitter.
As a result, the Phillies’ season is in a full-blown crisis after just over 25 games.
“The Phillies, free-falling for more than a week, have their longest skid since an 11-gamer in 1999,” Scott Lauber wrote for The Philadelphia Inquirer. “That was a bad team that was supposed to be lousy. These Phillies have a $317 million payroll, stars galore, and a worst-in-the-majors 8-18 record.”
Philadelphia Phillies Boss Dave Dombrowski Makes Rare Move During Atlanta Braves Series
With the team’s struggles growing, there is plenty of blame to go around in Philadelphia. Some of the highest-paid players have fallen short of expectations. Manager Rob Thomson might not be holding players personally accountable. But president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is ultimately responsible for the high payroll.
And in response to the early-season crisis, Dombrowski took a rare move on Friday.
“Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, who routinely travels with the club, summoned three of his trusted scouts to Truist Park for this weekend’s series to watch the Phillies play,” Matt Gelb reported for The Athletic. “That is rare, especially in April, and it is notable. Everything is on the table for the Phillies as they endure one of their worst stretches of baseball during the 21st century.”
Philadelphia Phillies Could Be Considering More Roster Changes After Taijuan Walker Cut
The Phillies recently cut ties with veteran pitcher Taijuan Walker, despite the remainder of his $72 million contract. And they will be welcoming back franchise ace Zack Wheeler for his first start of the season on Saturday. But if they are unable to build up some wins, it seems Dombrowski could be preparing to explore more roster changes.
“The season is not over, but the Phillies are treading in dangerous territory,” Gelb added. “They are a staggering 10 1/2 games back of the Braves in the National League East with almost a week to go in April. They have not trailed a division leader by double-digit games in April since 2000.”
As Dombrowski’s scouts look on during the rest of the series against the Braves, the executive could be preparing for a dramatic response to fix a season in crisis.
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