Swept in AZ, Phils aim to 'take that personal'

PHOENIX -- The Phillies left Chase Field on Thursday frustrated and maybe even a little angry at themselves.

It might be the best thing for them following a series sweep to the lowly D-backs.

“This is a team that you don’t want to get swept by,” Philadelphia ace Zack Wheeler said following Thursday’s 6-2 loss. “It’s just true. We need to take that personal and go out there and finish strong. Start winning some games. Start playing some good baseball and just be consistent.”

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The Phillies have lost four consecutive games and seven of nine since an eight-game winning streak gave them a two-game lead over the Braves in the National League East on Aug. 8. Philadelphia will open Friday’s three-game series in San Diego four games back of Atlanta.

Teams go through stretches like this every season, but the Phillies hoped to rebound from a 2-4 finish to a nine-game homestand with a strong week against Arizona, which is an NL-worst 41-81 and on pace to lose 108 games.

Is it possible the Phils overlooked their opponent?

“No, no, no, no, no,” Phillies manager Joe Girardi said. “They just won three out of four against the Padres, right? No. We haven’t been hitting for 10 days. This is not just something that just came up today or yesterday. We just haven’t been swinging the bats, and it’s costing us.”

The Phillies scored only six runs in the three-game series. They scattered 14 hits. They are batting .181 with a .555 OPS, five homers and 21 runs scored during their 2-7 stretch. Comparatively, they batted .289 with a .901 OPS, 16 homers and 55 runs scored during their eight-game winning streak.

“We just have to do a better job of coming in and consistently playing the same baseball,” Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto said. “I feel like we were on such a high a week ago and playing so good, and all of a sudden, it tanks out and we don’t have any consistency. We have to be more consistent across the board, no matter who we’re playing. Obviously when a team across from you isn’t trying to win, those games seem a little more winnable. But there’s still really good players over there and we didn’t focus enough, or we didn’t get the job done, and they kicked the crap out of us.

“It doesn't really matter who we're playing. We have to do what we do and play better.”

Jean Segura led off the game with a double off D-backs left-hander Madison Bumgarner. But like Odúbel Herrera’s leadoff triple in Wednesday’s loss, it was not a sign of things to come.

The lack of offense, combined with the absence of a postseason-like atmosphere, made this week’s games feel flat after playing in front of energetic crowds last week at Citizens Bank Park.

“It’s something that, as a group, we could do better at just kind of creating our own energy,” Realmuto said. “But again, that comes with when you're hitting and having success. That's kind of when a group can create their own energy and it doesn't matter. The way we started the series, not scoring runs and not hitting, and then also not having the atmosphere in the field, dome, whatever, that just kind of compounded that issue. I think as long as we're playing well, it wouldn't be a big issue. But when we're not out there hitting, it makes it a little tougher.”

Wheeler had allowed only one run through six innings when he found trouble in the seventh. The D-backs scored five runs in the frame to take a 6-0 lead.

“I threw a couple of pitches down throughout the game, a couple of pitches up I thought [were missed calls],” Wheeler said. “Kind of like, 'Where do you want me to throw it?' But I have to take accountability for that. I have to throw better strikes.”

And the offense needs to hit. Because if the Phillies play this weekend like they played this week, the Braves could bury them in the standings.

“I don't necessarily fear they could run away with it,” Realmuto said. “I worry more about what we're doing and the fact that we're not playing well. If we don't win ballgames, four teams could run away with it, not just the Braves. We have to play better, and we have to focus on what we can do.”