I give up: Braves 6, Phillies 5

“Please, Phillies. Please please please, just get out of this. Please, Phillies, oh god please.”

It was the bottom of the seventh inning. The Phillies had squandered a three-run lead. Luis Avilan needed one more out to end the inning. Did the Phillies reward the begging of a 35-year-old woman talking to a TV?

No. They did not.

The Phillies lost 6-5 after climbing back to a 4-1 lead in the seventh. What can I even say anymore?

Here’s something. In the bottom of the seventh, they made six defensive changes. Six. This is what that looked like.

That’s not why the Phillies lost. The Phillies lost first and foremost because the bullpen couldn’t hold on to the lead. The defense was also a factor, because when isn’t it a factor?

Here’s something else. J.P. Crawford smacked a lead-off pinch-hit triple in the sixth inning. The Phillies couldn’t get him home. Three batters couldn’t hit a sac fly.

This makes me want to vomit:

Also this:

This happened in the immediate moments after the game ended.

Find me a more useless time to get in an umpire’s face about a strike call than after a game-ending strike three. I dare you.

There were good things that happened. I forget them. This game deserves to be lost to history.

I have one more thought.

The Braves could clinch tomorrow. It’s cruel to have to watch that, but it’s the right thing. The Braves are just better, and the Phillies aren’t good enough. That could not be clearer, and if you need proof, just look at tonight’s game. Or any of the vast majority of games the Phillies have played over the last seven weeks.

Now where’s the alcohol.