09/26/26 11:24:00
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09/26 23:22 CDT Phillies lose 4th straight game in last-week collapse, will
play for NL wild card in season finale
Phillies lose 4th straight game in last-week collapse, will play for NL wild
card in season finale
By DAN GELSTON
AP Sports Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) --- Aaron Nola was hit hard on two days' rest and the
Phillies' bullpen unraveled in a 12-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday
night, forcing Philadelphia to try and salvage a final-week collapse and play
for an NL wild-card berth on the last day of the season.
Philadelphia had a 6 1/2-game lead over Arizona for the third NL wild card on
Sept. 1 before going into a tailspin that now includes four straight losses.
The Diamondbacks lost 10-7 at San Diego on Saturday night and remain one game
back of the Phillies for the final wild card.
The Diamondbacks hold the tiebreaker over Philadelphia, so the Phillies still
need a win Sunday or an Arizona loss to reach the postseason.
Philadelphia will turn to Zack Wheeler on Sunday to try and finally clinch its
fifth straight playoff berth and avoid the franchise's worst collapse since
1964. The Phillies are 9-14 in September.
With the Phillies' attempt at clinching an NL wild card teetering on an epic
meltdown, Nola (7-12) was hit hard on just about every ball in play and left
trailing 3-0 after pitching only one inning.
Junior Caminero hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Richie Palacios
added an RBI double for a 3-0 lead. Caminero's 42nd homer gave him 101 RBIs for
the AL East champion Rays.
Palacios had four RBIs and Victor Mesa Jr. had his first four-hit game.
The Phillies used six relievers. Jos Alvarado was voraciously booed off the
mound after the beleaguered lefty gave up three runs in the fifth inning. Jos
Urquidy allowed three runs in the sixth to make it 10-0 and most Phillies fans
--- some of whom wore brown paper bags over their heads --- fled for the exits
on a rainy night.
Rays starter Griffin Jax took a line drive from Philadelphia's Trea Turner off
his lower back and left the game after three innings.
The Phillies had a runner on second and two outs when Turner drilled a 104-mph
line drive off Jax. The ball ricocheted to shortstop Taylor Walls, who threw
out Turner for the third out of the inning.
Jax was relieved by Steven Matz (6-6), who pitched a scoreless inning.
The Phillies snapped their 21-inning scoreless streak on an unearned run in the
seventh.
Up next
The Rays finish with RHP Nick Martinez (15-5, 2.94 ERA) on the mound.
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