The loss on Independence Day by the Phillies to the Atlanta Braves felt like a kick in patriotic shorts. Staked to a four run lead, the pitching proceeded to let in nine unanswered runs, leading to another loss that could be blamed directly on the pitching staff.
Also on Independence Day, the team placed Juan Nicasio on the injured list, their eighth reliever that has seen time on the injured list this season.
This past Saturday, Jake Arrieta took the loss in a game against the lowly Mets, a game in which he allowed six runs in 4 1⁄3 innings.