Phillies rookie Andrew Painter has pitched better than he did on Sunday afternoon at Truist Park, but he showed something. Painter struggled with his command in the heat and humidity, but he left with a one-run lead in the fifth inning in a 9-4 victory over the Braves. The Phillies (83-67) are five behind the Braves (88-62) in the National League East with 12 regular-season games to play. It would take a miracle to win a third consecutive division title at this point, meaning if the Phils want to make a fifth consecutive trip to the postseason, the path is almost certainly a Wild Card. But Painter kept them in position for one. The Phillies are tied with the Cubs (83-67) for the No. 1 Wild Card spot. “It was a grind out there,” Painter said. Painter allowed one run on six hits and four walks to go with three strikeouts. He struck out Ronald Acuña Jr. swinging with a 97.4 mph fastball in the first inning. But he also walked Ha-Seong Kim twice. Kim entered the game with a .359 OPS, which would be the third lowest among players this decade (minimum 100 plate appearances). But then, with the bases loaded and one out in the fourth, Painter got Acuña to fly out to right field and Matt Olson to ground out. “That’s the maturation of becoming a big leaguer and finding yourself,” Kyle Schwarber said. “And I feel like he's doing a really good job of holding his head.” Painter has solidified the No. 5 spot in the Phillies’ rotation since his return on July 31. But how might he fit into their postseason plans? The question came to mind before and during Sunday’s game. Painter left with a 2-1 lead, then José Alvarado allowed a game-tying run in the seventh.
