Apr 18, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale (51) throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images When I was growing up, the term “broken record” never really made sense to me. If a record was broken, to my young and impressionable mind, how would it actually work in the first place?

I knew that the general meaning was that if something sounded like a broken record, you’d hear it over and over and over again, but it remained one of those things that I just didn’t comprehend.I’m reminded of this as the Phillies post another loss at home, one marred by sloppy play that put their starting pitching in a hole and an offense that continues to spin its wheels. It’s the same things that have been at the forefront of their slow start, the plagues and blights on their season.It’s a broken record.A marquee pitching matchup was billed between Cristopher Sanchez and Chris Sale and it largely lived up to it.

One might have thought that a first at bat home run robbery by Brandon Marsh would be a portend of things to come, but no sir.GO GET IT MARSHY pic.twitter.com/8Tzy5DDvYh— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 18, 2026Outside of one pitch, Sale shut down a Phillies offense that tried to load up on right handed hitting to try and counter the southpaw. The lone highlight of the evening was Felix Reyes, in his major league debut, taking Sale deep to the opposite field in his first at bat.Felix Reyes homers in his first Major League at-bat! pic.twitter.com/XQGdXbslr7— MLB (@MLB) April 18, 2026However, more just uncalled for errors by the Phillies gave the lead right back.

Sanchez got the first two outs via strikeout before Drake Baldwin singled with two outs. Ozzie Albies grounded a ball to Edmundo Sosa, who bobbled the ball and couldn’t record a third out, a crucial error that came right back to haunt them when Matt Olson walked to load the bases. Austin Riley hit a dribbler that Sanchez couldn’t field and the game was tied.

Mauricio Dubon hit a duckfart to center and the lead was two.Mauricio Dubón finds grass and the @Braves jump in front! pic.twitter.com/5QeLAPl7GG— MLB (@MLB) April 19, 2026From there, the game settled into a pitching clinic. The way the Phillies have “hit”, this one was over.The cold bats are going to happen. Players go through slumps at the plate all the time, even a bunch of them at once.

That is something that can be at least understood. Balls finding the Bermuda Triangles seems to be happening to the Phillies a lot lately, the BABIP gods frowning down on pitcher after pitcher on the team’s staff. It’s the sloppy play by the defense that is just baffling, particularly when it’s by normally good defenders. It’s inexcusable for them to play in this manner and cost themselves extra pitches, extra runs and extra losses.It’s just another broken record in a season full of them so far.