Phils Fall, Tied for Wild Card Lead

It was like a tennis match: Astros up, Phillies up, Astros up, Phillies up. But when the innings ran out, the Astros held onto the lead to beat the Phils, 5-4, dropping the Phils into a first place tie with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

It’s not the end of the world, or the end of the season for that matter, but a full game lead would have been nice, especially with only six games to go. What happened? The bullpen buckled (four pitchers in the seventh inning is not a good thing), and chances were squandered. In classic form, Pat Burrell popped up with the bases loaded.

Next up are the lowly Washington Nationals. But don’t discount an out-of-contention team. Remember when the Cubs spanked the Phils on Sept. 18? Hopefully, tonight won’t be a repeat.

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