Let’s be clear: The Phillies didn’t lose Thursday night because of the way Odúbel Herrera played left field in the first inning. It had much more to do with Matt Moore’s inability to put away the Atlanta Braves with two outs in the third before Dansby Swanson hit a grand slam.
But if the Phillies were hoping to set a tone at the start of a pivotal four-game series at Citizens Bank Park, Herrera’s defense hit the wrong note.
Fresh off the injured list — and with Andrew McCutchen getting a rest after the Phillies got home from New York at 3 a.