Arraez ends slump but Phillies lose to Cardinals

Luis Arráez finally broke his 16-at-bat hitless streak on Wednesday, hitting a double – his only hit in four appearances – as the Philadelphia Phillies fell to the St. Louis Cardinals 7-1. This slump marked the most severe offensive drought of the Venezuelan's career, causing him to drop from the National League's batting lead.

Arráez's double was the Phillies' only scoring play, bringing Bryce Harper home. For the Cardinals, Alec Burleson was the offensive standout, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs. The Phillies lost two of their three games in the St. Louis series. Despite maintaining a winning record at 64-58, they are losing ground in the race for the NL East title and are in danger of missing the postseason.

Philadelphia now sits outside the wild card picture, trailing the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres by half a game. A significant issue for the team, and a reason for acquiring Arráez, has been their low on-base percentage. Before Wednesday's game, their .309 OBP ranked fourth-worst in the National League. The pitching, particularly the bullpen, has also underperformed, with a 4.45 ERA entering the day, the third-worst in the league.