ATLANTA — Stone-faced and appearing almost solemn, Tommy Hunter handed over the ball in the seventh inning here Thursday night. And as he made his slow march back to the Phillies' dugout, the hypnotic chant of the Tomahawk Chop arose from the crowd and the ballpark lights dimmed.
Ten days from the end of the regular season, the lights have nearly been turned out on the Phillies. They came here with their hopes of winning the National League East dangling by a thread. They need to take at least three out of four games against the division-leading Atlanta Braves to have a chance in the final week of the season.