It was the tale of two teams. One, marching toward the playoffs. The other, sliding into irrelevance.

Both teams ran out their best starting pitchers. Jon Gray with his 2.08 ERA, and Ranger Suarez with his minuscule 1.37 ERA.

Both teams left a two-out walk on base without scoring in the first. Both teams went out one-two-three in the second. Both teams picked up a run in the third.

Then, the differences in talent level started appearing. Texas led off the top of the fourth with a double by Jonah Heim. Three outs later, Heim was still standing at second. Philadelphia also led off their half of the fourth with a double by Bryce Harper. Next batter, he scored. 

Philadelphia’s best player, Bryce Harper, homered in the sixth. Texas’s best player, Corey Seager, homered in the eight to pull within one at 3-2.

The Phillies scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth by stringing together offense: two singles, a double, and a sacrifice fly. That made it 5-2 going into the ninth.

The Rangers tried to match them. They got two on with one out and had the tying run at the plate. The difference was, where Philly punched the runners in, Texas struck out twice in a row to end the game.

The Phillies won 5-2. They did what a winning team needed to do to win. The Rangers had every chance. They tried to trade punch for punch but are the proverbial ninety-pound weakling right now.

Too punchless to land any significant blows. 

And Jon Gray walked off the field with groin tightness. Gut punch.

*****  
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