Phillies tied for MLB's worst record after losing ninth in a row

AL EastBlue JaysOriolesRaysRed SoxYankeesAL CentralGuardiansRoyalsTigersTwinsWhite SoxAL WestAngelsAstrosAthleticsMarinersRangersNL EastBravesMarlinsMetsNationalsPhilliesNL CentralBrewersCardinalsCubsPiratesRedsNL WestDiamondbacksDodgersGiantsPadresRockiesScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsThe Windup NewsletterFantasyMLB ProspectsMLB OddsMLB PicksPower RankingsFans Speak UpTop ProspectsMLB Season Cristopher Sánchez allowed six runs and 12 hits in 5 1/3 innings. The Phillies battled back, but it wasn't enough. Michael Reaves / Getty Images Share article3CHICAGO — The Philadelphia Phillies lost again on Thursday, falling 8-7 to the Chicago Cubs to push their losing streak to nine. They are now tied with the Kansas City Royals for the worst record in MLB at 8-17. It is the Phillies’ longest losing streak since 2018. They have not lost 10 in a row since enduring an 11-game skid in 1999. It is seemingly unfathomable that a club with this much talent and carrying one of baseball’s highest payrolls could start the season so poorly. But it has become reality for the Phillies, who have not won since facing the Cubs back in South Philly on April 13. Thursday was perhaps the most cruel loss yet. They scored five runs across innings seven through nine en route to what might have been a late-game comeback in extra innings. Instead, the Cubs won it in the 10th. The Phillies’ malaise is widespread and has looked a bit different each game as the losses pile up. The lineup has seemed passive at times, content to take hittable pitches. They are swinging 2.4 percent less often than last season, and swinging at the first pitch 7.4 percent less. Before Edmundo Sosa’s RBI double on Wednesday, the Phillies had gone 0-for-26 with runners in scoring position. They have also yet to find an effective cleanup hitter, trying rookie Felix Reyes in the spot on Thursday after giving Alec Bohm and Adolis García some run. Phillies’ starting pitchers have struggled with high pitch counts and big innings. No starter worked more than 5 ⅓ innings this week; the most innings they’ve gotten this season came three weeks ago in Colorado, when Jesús Luzardo pitched 6 2/3 innings on April 4. The bullpen suffered a string of injuries over the past week, including closer Jhoan Duran. The three absent pitchers — Jonathan Bowlan, Zach Pop and Duran — are not expected to be out for an extended time, but it has forced the Phillies to churn relievers in and out of the bullpen. The defense has also been shaky, though it has looked better in recent games. The clubhouse and coaching staff both maintain that they can turn things around. But, 25 games into the season, they are still searching for a way out. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms