Phillies Drop Opener to Rays, Turn Focus to Final Series Before Playoffs

OriginalGlobal Sportscast deskSep 26, 2026 · 08:26 UTC

The short version

Phillies fell 2-0 to the Rays in Friday's series opener, managing four hits in 30 at-bats.
Cristopher Sanchez took the loss, allowing two runs on five hits with 10 strikeouts.
Kyle Schwarber said the team will "face it head on" with the playoffs approaching.
Philadelphia is 87-73, second in the NL East behind Atlanta.
Game 2 is Saturday, September 26 at 7:15 PM EDT at Citizens Bank Park.

Kyle Schwarber says Philadelphia will face its late-season test head on after a 2-0 loss to Tampa Bay opened the final regular-season series.

The Philadelphia Phillies opened the final series of the regular season with a 2-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night at home. The defeat came on a night when the club paid tribute to chairman emeritus Bill Giles, who passed away at 92.

Tampa Bay scored both of its runs in the first two innings, and that was all the offense the game required. Philadelphia managed just four hits across 30 at-bats and never put a run on the board.

Left-hander Cristopher Sanchez took the loss despite a strong outing. He gave up both runs on five hits over his start but struck out 10 batters along the way.

Designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, wrapping up his 12th major league season and his fifth with the Phillies, addressed the team's mindset heading into the final two games of the series with the postseason approaching.

"We look forward to the challenge… the best way to go about it, we know what's in front of us and we go out there and face it head on," Schwarber said, according to SportsRadio 94WIP.

Schwarber has been one of the top hitters in the league this season and has helped Philadelphia secure another playoff berth. The club sits at 87-73 on the year, good for second place in the NL East. The Phillies are ahead of the Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals but trail the division-leading Atlanta Braves.

With the playoffs close, the Phillies view the remaining two games against Tampa Bay as a final tune-up. The team will try to even the series in Game 2 on Saturday.

Fans can watch Game 2 of the Rays-Phillies series on Saturday, September 26 at 7:15 PM EDT at Citizens Bank Park, with the broadcast available on FOX and streaming on MLB.TV.