PHILADELPHIA -- Joe Girardi’s Wednesday started with him responding to Mike Rizzo’s comment that he is a “con artist” for making umpires check Max Scherzer for foreign substances for a third time on Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park.

But after the series finale, Girardi ended up talking about how the Phillies blew three leads and how he might look for a new closer following a gut-wrenching 13-12 loss to the Nationals on Wednesday afternoon. Bryce Harper also spoke about how the Phils (34-37) need to begin a run soon if they expect president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski to consider finding help before the July 30 Trade Deadline.

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“Dave Dombrowski needs to have faith in his team that we can go out there and win games,” Harper said. “I, of course, want to put pressure on him to do that, and as a team, we need to. But that’s only if we’re winning games. If we’re not winning games, then there’s no point in doing that, right?”

The Phillies should have won on Wednesday, even after blowing a five-run lead in the fifth and a six-run lead in the sixth. They took a one-run lead into the ninth, but closer Héctor Neris couldn't hold it. He allowed two runs to blow his third save in his last five appearances.

Neris had a 1.90 ERA and nine saves in 11 opportunities in his first 25 appearances this season, but he has a 12.46 ERA in his last five outings. Girardi had been unwavering in his support of Neris, but he said on Wednesday that he will consider making a change at closer before Friday’s series opener against the Mets in New York.

“I’ll take an off-day and think about it,” Girardi said. “I think that’s what you do. You’re always re-evaluating. You take an off-day and look at it.”

Neris did not sound opposed.

“I’m behind the manager,” he said. “I want to support the team. If he thinks he has to move me right now, I’m going to keep working to help the team. It doesn’t matter what inning I’m pitching.”

But who are the options? It might be left-hander José Alvarado, but that’s it. Right-hander Archie Bradley entered the season as an option, but he has a 4.20 ERA after he allowed a three-run home run to Kyle Schwarber in the fifth.

Andrew McCutchen hit a pinch-hit, go-ahead grand slam in the fifth to put the Phillies ahead, 9-5. It was the first pinch-hit, go-ahead grand slam by the Phils since Ryan Howard hit one on May 9, 2007, in Phoenix.

But the lead did not last. Sam Coonrod walked the bases loaded with two outs in the sixth. This is where things got really interesting. Girardi chose right-hander David Hale to face Trea Turner. Hale had a 5.68 ERA in 16 appearances this season and a 6.92 ERA in his last eight outings.

Turner singled to right to score two runs to make it 9-7. Hale walked Juan Soto to load the bases. He then served up a grand slam to Josh Bell to hand the Nationals an 11-9 lead.

Girardi said Ranger Suárez (17 pitches Tuesday, 42 Saturday), Bailey Falter (16 pitches Tuesday, 49 Friday), Connor Brogdon (25 Tuesday, 16 Saturday) and Spencer Howard (53 pitches Sunday) were unavailable.

Girardi also said he did not want to use Alvarado at that point in the game.

“It’s just a tough spot to be in,” Girardi said.

The organization is in a tough spot, too. It has spent a lot of money over the past several years, but it has issues seemingly everywhere. It is evident that the Phillies did not build a deep enough farm system, despite years of high Draft picks and investments in analytics and player development, and it is hurting them. Harper knows this as well as anybody.

“We're kind of depleted in the Minor Leagues and can’t really trade anybody, and we don’t really have anybody to trade down there to get guys who are really, really good,” Harper said.

So that makes this upcoming stretch quite important. The Phillies play 12 of their final 18 games before the All-Star break on the road. If they want the front office to add any impact pieces, they better do something.

“I don’t want to ever think that we’re out of anything,” Harper said. “You can flip a switch real quick and win nine of 10. We’re in that moment where we need to do that and start winning games on the road. Start winning games at home. Start winning games that we’re supposed to win. And not lose games that we’re not supposed to lose. I know teams struggle at times and we’re going to struggle at times … but we can’t afford to do that at this given time.”