Phillies Lose to Braves, Painter's ERA Climbs

0:00On April 25th, the Philadelphia Phillies are teetering on the edge in the 2026 season, kicking off a three-game series against the Surging Atlanta Braves on a brutal nine-game losing streak. Their top prospect, Andrew Painter, took the mound in his second career start against these NLE's leaders, looking to snap the skid and prove his big lead chops. Painter dominated their five innings, surrendering just two runs while the Phills nursed a slim three-to-two lead. The young right-hander was on pace for his longest outing yet, keeping Atlanta's bats mostly quiet, but the sixth inning turned Nightmarish. Base is loaded with trouble after a single, a walk, and a fly-out. Pinch hitter Michael Harris crushed a double to score two and flipped the lead. A stolen base, wild pitch, and another walk powered on, pushing three more runs across for a five-to-three Braves advantage. Manager Rob Thompson yanked Painter after that meltdown, bringing in reliever Kyle Backhoos to escape the inning.

1:00Painter absorbed his second loss, his ERA climbing to 5.25 over 24 innings pitched this year. The Phillies as woes deepened as the Braves keep rolling, leaving Philly fans wondering if rock bottom is still ahead in this brutal stretch. From around the league, powered by AI, this is MLB News Today. I'm Corey with The Story.