ATLANTA — It's only fitting, in a season filled with so many gut-punching losses, that the Phillies would go down like this.
With their odds of coming back to win the National League East dangling by the thinnest of threads, they turned to their best reliever over the last two seasons to safeguard a three-run lead. But Pat Neshek gave up more earned runs in the seventh inning (four) than he had allowed all season to that point (three).
It has been that kind of month for the Phillies. The Atlanta Braves scored five runs in that decisive inning against Neshek and lefty Luis Avilan and came away with a 6-5 victory before an announced crowd of 34,370 at SunTrust Park.