Felix Reyes hits home run in first major-league at-bat, but Phillies lose fourth in a row

PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies got the “shot of energy” that manager Rob Thomson wanted. It wasn’t enough to get them out of their early-season skid.

Rookie Felix Reyes hit an opposite-field home run off former Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale in the first plate appearance of his big-league career in the top of the second inning, sending a 348-foot shot just over the right-field wall at Citizens Bank Park.

But Reyes’ solo homer provided only one run for a Phillies team that has struggled to score, and the defense hurt left-hander Cristopher Sánchez more than it helped in a 3-1 loss to the Braves on Saturday night. While Reyes brought a spark that the Phillies were looking for, it wasn’t enough to avoid their fourth loss in a row.

“Whenever you see a kid come up for the first time, hit a home run in his first at-bat, there’s a lot of energy in the dugout, for sure,” Thomson said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t do much after that.”

To start off his major-league debut, Reyes swung at a fastball and ignited the announced crowd of 43,423. Fired up for the moment, the 6-foot-4, 256-pound right-handed hitter clapped his hands as he touched first, and his helmet flew off his head before he touched second. He received a standing ovation as he returned to the dugout and another as he headed out to left field for the next inning.

“It was a special thing to feel,” Reyes said through a team interpreter. “I’ve never felt something quite like this before, and it’s just a dream come true.”

The Phillies (8-12) went up 1-0 thanks to Reyes, who traded four signed baseballs and signed bat to the family who retrieved his home-run ball, but the team coughed up the lead in the top of the third. After second baseman Edmundo Sosa booted a grounder with two outs and a runner on first, Sánchez walked Matt Olson to load the bases. Austin Riley then tapped a swinging bunt to drive in a run.

In the next at-bat, Mauricio Dubón popped a ball into shallow center field that Brandon Marsh couldn’t track down. In the lineup in center to shield rookie Justin Crawford from Sale, Marsh robbed Ronald Acuña Jr. of a home run on the first pitch of the game, but his jump on the Dubón single was 5.6 feet below average, per Statcast. The play scored the two deciding runs of the game for Atlanta.

“It’s frustrating,” Thomson said, “but again, we got to keep fighting.”

Sánchez did not allow any damage aside from the three-run third inning. He gave up no earned runs in six innings, surrendering eight hits but striking out eight batters.

And the Phillies couldn’t get to Sale and the Braves beyond the Reyes home run. To make matters worse for Philadelphia, veteran catcher J.T. Realmuto exited the game in the seventh inning with lower back tightness.

It was all part of what’s been a disappointing, ugly April for the Phillies.

“It’s pretty hard, but we got to keep going,” Sánchez said through a team interpreter. “Keep the head high, head up and just keep going. It’s just a part of the game. We’re going to get out of this rut.”