PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 08: President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski of the Philadelphia Phillies talks to the media during the introductory press conference for Trea Turner at Citizens Bank Park on December 8, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
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The Philadelphia Phillies suffered their tenth-straight loss on Friday, falling to the division rival Atlanta Braves as they increased the gap in the National League East standings.
And the latest loss didn’t just sting because of the ongoing skid or the division rivalry. It also saw the Phillies give up a lead to the Braves in particularly heartbreaking fashion, as Michael Harris II scored two runs in the sixth inning as a pinch hitter.
As a result, the Phillies’ season is in a full-blown crisis after just over 25 games.
“The Phillies, free-falling for more than a week, have their longest skid since an 11-gamer in 1999,” Scott Lauber wrote for The Philadelphia Inquirer. “That was a bad team that was supposed to be lousy. These Phillies have a $317 million payroll, stars galore, and a worst-in-the-majors 8-18 record.”
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With the team’s struggles growing, there is plenty of blame to go around in Philadelphia. Some of the highest-paid players have fallen short of expectations. Manager Rob Thomson might not be holding players personally accountable. But president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is ultimately responsible for the high payroll.
And in response to the early-season crisis, Dombrowski took a rare move on Friday.
“Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, who routinely travels with the club, summoned three of his trusted scouts to Truist Park for this weekend’s series to watch the Phillies play,” Matt Gelb reported for The Athletic. “That is rare, especially in April, and it is notable. Everything is on the table for the Phillies as they endure one of their worst stretches of baseball during the 21st century.”
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“The season is not over, but the Phillies are treading in dangerous territory,” Gelb added. “They are a staggering 10 1/2 games back of the Braves in the National League East with almost a week to go in April. They have not trailed a division leader by double-digit games in April since 2000.”
As Dombrowski’s scouts look on during the rest of the series against the Braves, the executive could be preparing for a dramatic response to fix a season in crisis.
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