Reeling Phillies swept by a team that lost 12 straight entering the series - nbcsportsphiladelphia.com

What the report says

NBC Sports Philadelphia reported that the Philadelphia Phillies’ post-All-Star break slide deepened Wednesday in Miami, where they lost 8-6 to the Marlins after building a 6-0 lead. The defeat completed a three-game sweep by a Miami club that had entered the series on a 12-game losing streak, adding to Philadelphia’s recent frustration after a 3-6 homestand.

According to the report, the Phillies appeared positioned to salvage the finale behind starter Jesus Luzardo, but Miami scored three runs in the fifth and continued pressuring the bullpen. Heriberto Hernandez hit a two-run homer in the fifth, Xavier Edwards tied the game with a two-run single in the seventh, and Griffin Conine followed his Monday walk-off heroics with a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth. Manager Don Mattingly said afterward that the club had let the game get away and framed the coming stretch as a test of the team’s identity.

The loss left Philadelphia with nine defeats in 12 games since the All-Star break, dropping the club from 11 games over .500 to five over, while still holding a wild-card position for now. NBC Sports Philadelphia noted that the bullpen was short-handed, with Orion Kerkering and Jose Alvarado unavailable, and that Mattingly acknowledged second-guessing his seventh-inning relief choice.

The article also pointed to broader concerns beyond one game. Bryce Harper had urged the front office to add help before the trade deadline after Tuesday’s shutout loss, while Trea Turner said the team has struggled to pair offense and pitching in the same games. With 53 regular-season games remaining, the sweep raised the urgency around whether the Phillies can stabilize before their playoff position erodes.