Top 5 most brutal Philadelphia Phillies losses in 2022 season

Ranking the five worst losses for the 2022 Philadelphia Phillies

For a Philadelphia Phillies team seeking its first postseason berth in 11 seasons, every game is critical throughout the 162-game schedule.

Given the large sample size of games, odds are that there will be blowouts backed by a strong showing from the offense. Alternatively, there will be games where the pitching just does not have it. Monday’s three-game series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks was a little bit of both — culminating in a brutal loss.

Here is a ranking of the top five worst Phillies losses in the 2022 season — two of which surprisingly occurred under the leadership of interim manager Rob Thomson. Hopefully, none of these losses come back to bite the team and prevent them from a Wild Card series appearance.

1. August 29: Arizona Diamondbacks 13, Philadelphia Phillies 7

Given Monday’s game was a late 9:40 start time, chances are that most fans were not awake to see this heartbreaking defeat as it went down at Chase Field.

In fact, the Phillies were ahead by as many as seven runs in the top of the fourth inning, before being outscored 13-0 en route to the six-run loss.

The Phillies offense started the contest on fire — collecting seven runs (all earned) and 11 hits opposite three-time World Series champion southpaw Madison Bumgarner. Bryce Harper hitting a two-run double and Kyle Schwarber launching a three-run home run were among the highlights.

But then things quickly turned south. In the bottom of the fourth, starting pitcher Ranger Suarez allowed as many as four straight hits — allowing the Diamondbacks to cut their deficit to 7-2. Then a costly fielding error by Jean Segura — who earlier in the game was caught stealing to end the team’s scoring rally early — ended up allowing the Phillies opposition to score three more runs in the frame.

Cristopher Sanchez entered in relief and would allow a leadoff double in the bottom of the fifth before walking two straight batters. Sanchez later hit a Diamondbacks batter with the bases loaded. The inning kept unraveling from there and ended with Arizona with a commanding 12-7 lead. The Phillies went on to lose, 13-7.

2. April 29: New York Mets 3, Philadelphia Phillies 0

Losing to a division rival is never fun, but to allow them to throw just the second-ever no-hitter in their franchise’s history is just about rock bottom.

That’s exactly what the Phillies did when facing the Mets in a late-April contest. Just perhaps, that propelled the Mets with extra confidence to their likely 2022 National League East division title — and who knows just how far they will reach in the postseason.

Aaron Nola was credited with the loss despite his quality start — allowing three runs on seven hits in six innings. The Phillies walked six times, but could not produce a hit opposite Tylor Megill, Drew Smith, former Phillie Joely Rodriguez, Seth Lugo and closer Edwin Diaz.

The Phillies were no-hit for the first time since then-Los Angeles Dodgers starter Josh Beckett went the distance on May 25, 2014, at Citizens Bank Park.

3. May 5: New York Mets 8, Philadelphia Phillies 7

The Phillies blowing an early 7-0 lead to the Diamondbacks on Monday was bad enough, but imagine losing a 7-0 lead heading into the top of the ninth inning — at home.

Less than a week after the Mets no-hit the Phillies, they handed the then-Joe Girardi-led team another brutal loss. Like Monday, the offense started the game strongly — with Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos, J.T. Realmuto and Jean Segura each driving runs home. Three innings later, Harper and Castellanos homered in back-to-back plate appearances against Taijuan Walker — putting the team ahead 7-0.

But then the offense went silent. And then the ninth inning happened with the since-cut James Norwood and since-injured Corey Knebel on the mound.

The Mets would score seven runs on eight hits, after being shut out on just three hits entering the frame.