Apr 21, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson (49) in the dugout before a game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images Matt Marton
Taijuan Walker was released Thursday morning, but that didn't stop the Phillies from losing their ninth-consecutive tilt Thursday afternoon, as the Chicago Cubs completed the four-game sweep by winning a 10-inning roller coaster 8-7, further igniting speculation about who could be shown the door next.
Brandon Marsh got the scoring started in the top of the second with a 425-foot homer off of Edward Cabrera:
Brandon Marsh is the first player to homer off of Edward Cabrera this season! pic.twitter.com/16oOPmAfZx
The lead was short-lived, though, as Dansby Swanson tied the game with a sacrifice fly in the home half of the second. To the credit of Sánchez, he escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam without giving up any further runs.
Sánchez wasn't as lucky in the third inning, as the Cubs recorded five hits, with the big blow coming in the form of a three-run homer by Michael Busch:
Michael Busch homers in back-to-back games 💥 pic.twitter.com/uCaJTVB9vW
In some senses, the Cubs were BABIPing the Phillies to death early on. Carson Kelly reached on an 85.3 mph single in the third, which Alex Bregman followed with a 68.8 mph single. It's not as though Sánchez was getting hit hard consistently. But the Busch homer was a 97.3 mph exit velocity, and it traveled 421 feet.
Sánchez — who the Phillies hoped would be a stopper Thursday — allowed 12 hits, two home runs and six earned runs across 5 1/3 innings pitched.
While Sánchez still has an impressive 2.94 ERA to show after six starts this year, it doesn't feel like he's been nearly as sharp as he was in 2024 and 2025. As MLB.com's Paul Casella noted, this was the second time in the last four starts that Sánchez gave up 10 or more hits. Over the prior 32 starts, Sánchez hadn't allowed more than eight hits in a game.
Marsh did cut into Chicago's lead in the top of the fourth inning, with an opposite-field single that plated Harper, reducing the deficit to two runs.
After going hitless in the fifth and sixth innings, the Phillies finally were able to get to Cabrera again in the seventh. It started with a solo home run from Marsh, his second of the day on an afternoon where the wind was blowing out to left field. Before the frame was out, Bryson Stott scored on a throwing error, and Garrett Stubbs – making his first start of the year — added on a sac fly to cut the Cubs lead to 6-5. Trea Turner, though, stranded the tying run on second base to end the inning by flying out to center field:
Brandon Marsh is the Phillies’ sole provider on offense today, apparently pic.twitter.com/gBO6W64gjO
The Phillies would pull even in the top of the eighth, with Edmundo Sosa delivering a game-tying pinch-hit RBI single that scored Dylan Moore. Justin Crawford was then struck out by Jacob Webb to strand the bases loaded.
Edmundo Sosa has tied the game for the Phillies! pic.twitter.com/Beqw0cPXuo
The first batter in the bottom of the eighth broke the tie, as Seiya Suzuki led off with a homer for the third time in as many days, this one off of Brad Keller.
Adolis García countered with a leadoff homer of his own in the top of the ninth, taking Caleb Thielbar deep after pinch hitting for Stubbs:
Adolis García comes off the bench and TIES THE GAME!
El Bombi provides a spark!
(via @TalkinBaseball_) pic.twitter.com/0fPRrwHW0k
Unfortunately for the Phillies, both Moore and Marsh were retired to end the top of the ninth, stranding the go-ahead run at third base. The Phillies also failed to drive in the zombie runner in the top of the 10th, and the Cubs walked things off against Tanner Banks in the bottom of the 10th, with Swanson delivering the game-winning hit that scored Happ, who was the inherited runner.
With the loss, the Phillies have fallen to 8-17. It's an unthinkably bad spot to be in for a team that's qualified for the postseason in each of the last four years. A stretch like this leaves you to ponder whether a shake-up is necessary.
Dave Dombrowski certainly bears responsibility, with Walker the latest reminder of some of the poor deals he's given out as president of baseball operations. If the Phillies end up at a crossroads after this season, it will be fair to ask whether Dombrowski — who is signed through 2027 — is the right person to lead the team moving forward. Dombrowski isn't going to fire himself during the season, however.
In theory, the Phillies could move on from hitting coach Kevin Long, though Matt Gelb of The Athletic noted in a chat with readers Wednesday that Long was just given a three-year extension last winter. Long also sets the agenda for how hitting is taught throughout the organization, so moving on from him is a much bigger choice than just changing the MLB hitting coach.
Unfortunately for Thomson, he might be the path of least resistance. The Phillies did extend his contract through the 2027 season this past offseason, but they have a former manager on the staff in Don Mattingly. Dusty Wathan managed at every level of the minor leagues for the Phillies before joining the MLB staff as the third base coach in 2018. They would have options if they wanted to pick an interim manager.
It should be noted that Dombrowski gave Thomson a vote of confidence earlier this week, but the Phillies have lost three more games since then. The Phillies did show fight for Thomson Thursday, but eventually, they need a win. Really, they need a bunch of wins. The season is already off the rails, and it's in danger of being over before the calendar flips to May if the Phillies don't begin to turn things around this weekend in Atlanta.
