By Lewis Gould
The Phillies have reached the end of a very long and productive road trip.
Last night’s loss left the still surprising Phillies at 19-15 though 34 games. Twelve of their wins have come by one run as they’ve often gotten good pitching and little offense. They are averaging just 3.18 runs per game.
Only Atlanta (3.03) has had more trouble scoring, not that it was a problem for the Braves in this game as they got to Jerad Eickhoff for seven hits, including a homer by Freddie Freeman, and four runs in 4 1/3 innings.
Tonight, the Phillies conclude a grueling 19-game stretch that features 16 road games. They are 12-6 so far and 9-6 on the road.
“We’re at the tail end of a road trip,” Mackanin said. “We were home for three days. It seems like a three-week-long road trip. For these guys to play all these one-run games night after night after night, there is sure to be a letdown at some point. It’s not just hard on the pitchers knowing they can’t make mistakes. But it’s also tough on these guys to battle every night. It’s tough on the defense, the offense, as well as the pitching.
“I don’t want to make excuses, but it’s a long time away from home. It’s bound to catch up to you sooner than later.”
