The Phillies’ division-clinching champagne is on hold.
The club couldn’t record an NL East-sealing seventh consecutive win Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park, falling to a 10-3 loss to the Royals.
A Mets loss would’ve been sufficient for the Phils to clinch, but New York snapped an eight-game skid with a 5-2 victory in 10 innings over the Rangers. The Phillies watched the bottom of the ninth and 10th innings from the clubhouse. Pete Alonso’s walk-off home run confirmed they wouldn’t celebrate Sunday.
Aaron Nola faltered in the middle innings as the Phillies looked to polish off a second straight division title. The 32-year-old righty pitched six innings and allowed six hits and six runs. He struck out five and walked one.
Kyle Schwarber gave the Phils a first-inning edge when he smoked a first-pitch jack to left-center field off of Royals lefty Noah Cameron. He’s now at 52 homers, six shy of Ryan Howard’s all-time franchise mark set in 2006.
Two batters later, J.T. Realmuto slugged away on another first pitch and went yard.
Coming off of six scoreless innings his last outing, Nola retired the first nine Royals in order. Kansas City swung freely and Nola’s command was sharp. He threw strikes on 24 of his first 29 pitches, established his fastball early and threw high-quality curveballs at the right moments.
Nola’s smooth sailing didn’t continue forever. Michael Massey walked to lead off the fifth inning. With one out, Jac Caglianone belted a Nola curve 404 feet to right-center for a game-tying home run.
The Phils managed a baserunner in the second, third and fourth innings but couldn’t score. Cameron tossed a 1-2-3 fifth.
Kansas City hammered Nola in the sixth. The Royals hit for the cycle in the inning and built a 6-2 lead on Salvador Perez’s three-run homer.
“Just the one big inning,” Nola said when asked about what he wants to clean up before the playoffs. “It’s kind of hit me all year this year.”
The Royals tacked on a couple more runs in the seventh against Tim Mayza and ultimately eased to a blowout win. Perez kept rolling, poking a two-RBI knock to right.
Cameron quieted the Phillies’ bats through seven innings. After five straight games with double-digit hits, the Phils only had five Sunday.
One more road trip
The 89-61 Phillies will travel to Los Angeles for a three-game series with the Dodgers that starts Monday night. They’ll then head to Arizona and play a three-game set against the Diamondbacks.
Phils manager Rob Thomson wants to secure a postseason bye and try to beat out the Brewers for the National League’s No. 1 seed. Milwaukee is two games in front of the Phillies.
“They’re big,” Thomson said of the Dodgers games on deck. “You’ve got the bye that’s involved, and they’re a good club and we’re going to their place, which is going to be raucous. It’s a big series.”
Turner ‘looks like he’s ahead of schedule’
Trea Turner took ground balls and hit off a tee Sunday. Thomson is encouraged by his progress as he rehabs from a Grade 1 right hamstring strain.
“I hate to say it, but it looks like he’s ahead of schedule,” Thomson said. “You hear that all the time, but he’s doing really well.”
Thomson also noted that Alec Bohm (left shoulder inflammation) felt “really good” Sunday as he ramped up his rehab. The Phillies are hopeful Edmundo Sosa (right groin tightness) will return to action Tuesday.
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