The Philadelphia Phillies lost 2–0 to the Tampa Bay Rays in the opening game of their final regular-season series, leaving their hopes of reaching the play-offs in serious jeopardy. The defeat was their third in a row and delayed a possible fifth consecutive post-season appearance, with qualification now likely to be decided over the final two games.

Christopher Sanchez struck out 10 Rays batters, but Tampa Bay’s Freddy Peralta limited Philadelphia to four hits and the Phillies failed to score. They have managed only two runs across their last 27 innings and could need ace Zack Wheeler to pitch on Sunday, potentially affecting his availability for the wild-card series; Luis Arraez is also out indefinitely with an ankle injury. The team additionally honoured former executive and owner Bill Giles, who died aged 92.