The Philadelphia Phillies continue to struggle against NL East opponents. They just lost their second straight game against the Atlanta Braves tonight by a score of 4-1.
The Phillies are now 39-37 and are losing more and more ground in the NL Wild Card standings.
![march madness logo](http://staticg.sportskeeda.com/skm/assets/march-madness-logo.png)
"FINAL: Braves 4, Phillies 1"-@Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies seem to continue to disappoint their fans. The last playoff appearance by the team was in 2011.
Fans are tired of raising expectations only to see the team underperform. One Phillies fan would rather have the team not show up for tomorrow's game.
The Phillies offense struggled a lot tonight, even though many thought that this would be their greatest strength.
The Atlanta Braves improved their record to 44-32 and are just three games back of the New York Mets in the NL East.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Atlanta Braves highlights
![William Contreras blasted a double during last night's Atlanta Braves v Philadelphia Phillies game.](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/26419-16565551863810-1920.jpg?w=190 190w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/26419-16565551863810-1920.jpg?w=720 720w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/26419-16565551863810-1920.jpg?w=640 640w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/26419-16565551863810-1920.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/26419-16565551863810-1920.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/26419-16565551863810-1920.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/26419-16565551863810-1920.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/26419-16565551863810-1920.jpg 1920w)
The Philadelphia Phillies got off to a great start to the game as first baseman Rhys Hoskins blasted his 14th home run of the season.
"Rhys Hoskins goes off the foul pole to put the Phillies on top!"-@Talkin' Baseball
Atlanta Braves catcher William Contreras then drove in Matt Olson to tie the game back up at 1-1.
"William Contreras ties the game up as he tries to secure his spot on the NL All Star team"-@Talkin' Baseball
The Braves retook the lead with a score of 2-1 before Adam Duvall blasted a solo home run to left field.
"Adam Duval pads Atlanta's lead with a homer!"-@Talkin' Baseball
Atlanta added one more insurance run to extend the lead to 4-1. The Braves' bullpen then shut down the Phillies offense to secure the victory.
Philadelphia Phillies continue to underperform in 2022
![The Phillies have dealt with multiple issues this year](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/00433-16565540908907-1920.jpg?w=190 190w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/00433-16565540908907-1920.jpg?w=720 720w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/00433-16565540908907-1920.jpg?w=640 640w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/00433-16565540908907-1920.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/00433-16565540908907-1920.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/00433-16565540908907-1920.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/00433-16565540908907-1920.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/00433-16565540908907-1920.jpg 1920w)
The Philadelphia Phillies entered 2022 with the expectation that it would be the year to end their long playoff drought. With the acquisition of sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos to go along with an already above-average offense, it looked like they would be a contender in the NL.
Things have not gone as planned in Philadelphia so far this season. The team fired manager Joe Girardi after a lackluster start that saw the team go under .500 in late May.
The team has also had to deal with multiple injuries suffered by 2021 NL MVP Bryce Harper. Harper is expected to miss a significant amount of time after injuring his thumb against the Padres in San Diego.
The two biggest issues for the Phillies in 2022 have been their bullpen and defense. Their strategy of trying to outslug teams has not panned out well. While the season is still fairly young, the team will need to address these issues if they want to make it to the postseason for the first time in over a decade.
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