<\/p>\n
The Phillies\u2019 division-clinching champagne is on hold.<\/p>\n
The club couldn\u2019t record an NL East-sealing seventh consecutive win Sunday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park, falling to a 10-3 loss to the Royals.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A Mets loss would\u2019ve been sufficient for the Phils to clinch, but New York snapped an eight-game skid with a 5-2 victory in 10 innings over the Rangers.\u00a0The Phillies watched the bottom of the ninth and 10th innings from the clubhouse. Pete Alonso’s walk-off home run confirmed they wouldn’t celebrate Sunday. <\/p>\n
Aaron Nola faltered in the middle innings as the Phillies looked to polish off a second straight division title. The 32-year-old righty pitched six innings and allowed six hits and six runs. He struck out five and walked one. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Kyle Schwarber gave the Phils a first-inning edge when he smoked a first-pitch jack to left-center field off of Royals lefty Noah Cameron. He\u2019s now at 52 homers, six shy of Ryan Howard\u2019s all-time franchise mark set in 2006.<\/p>\n
Two batters later, J.T. Realmuto slugged away on another first pitch and went yard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Coming off of six scoreless innings his last outing, Nola retired the first nine Royals in order. Kansas City swung freely and Nola\u2019s command was sharp. He threw strikes on 24 of his first 29 pitches, established his fastball early and threw high-quality curveballs at the right moments.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nola\u2019s smooth sailing didn\u2019t continue forever. Michael Massey walked to lead off the fifth inning. With one out, Jac Caglianone belted a Nola curve 404 feet to right-center for a game-tying home run.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Phils managed a baserunner in the second, third and fourth innings but couldn\u2019t score. Cameron tossed a 1-2-3 fifth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kansas City hammered Nola in the sixth. The Royals hit for the cycle in the inning and built a 6-2 lead on Salvador Perez\u2019s three-run homer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJust the one big inning,\u201d Nola said when asked about what he wants to clean up before the playoffs. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of hit me all year this year.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Royals tacked on a couple more runs in the seventh against Tim Mayza and ultimately eased to a blowout win. Perez kept rolling, poking a two-RBI knock to right.<\/p>\n
Cameron quieted the Phillies\u2019 bats through seven\u00a0innings. After five straight games with double-digit hits, the Phils only had five Sunday.<\/p>\n
The 89-61 Phillies will travel to Los Angeles for a three-game series with the Dodgers that starts Monday night. They\u2019ll then head to Arizona and play a three-game set against the Diamondbacks.<\/p>\n