Missed connections: Braves 7, Phillies 1

You were close to my glove. Round and white with a slight wisp of red. Spinning fast, I hoped you would stop for me. I was there two times tonight. Why didn't I get to you quickly enough? If you're interested in getting together, meet me tomorrow afternoon and I'll be waiting for you every time you bound toward third base.

...

I saw you on the bases nine times tonight, all seven of you, but only one of you came to visit me. You almost made it! You got so close! But I'm still lonely. You'll find me in the same place tomorrow night, sixty feet and six inches away from the pitcher's mound at Citizens Bank Park.

This one was in reach for the Phillies for most of the game. But they let it get away from them, and they lost to the Braves 7-1.

It was a bad night for Maikel Franco, and it was a bad night for scoring runs. Franco had two errors charged to him tonight, and he while he doubled, he looked generally lost at the plate and in the field. Maikel Franco needs... the man needs a day off. He's appeared in all but two Phillies games this season, and to me it's clear that he needs a day off.

The Phillies had six hits, two from Cameron Rupp (who seems to be doing fine since Eugenio Suarez intentionally rammed into him while not even attempting to slide into home plate), and they left eight guys on base. They scored just one run, and it wasn't even on a hit. It was in the first inning on a Ryan Howard ground out. When you get so few hits and so few walks, you can't leave that many guys on base and expect to win. The Braves are bad, but the Phillies gave them a chance to win and the Braves took it.

Aaron Nola was just unlucky. He went seven innings, which he's done in more than half of his 22 major league starts. But tonight, things didn't go so well. He gave up seven hits and five runs, but just two were earned (please see the above paragraph about Maikel Franco for more information about that). He did give up two home runs, one to Nick Markakis and one to Freddie Freeman. Brett Oberholtzer allowed Freddie Freeman to hit another home run, and wow is he bad. He's carrying a 7.29 ERA right now, and he's just bad.

The Phillies have been outscored 80-56 at home this season. That's just insane. But that's fitting of this team. Insane, frustrating, but fun in the end. Even when they lose.