The Phillies were fundamentally poor. The Dodgers were fundamentally sound.

Want to know why the Phillies dropped two of three to the defending World Series champs despite keeping the greatest player on the planet in check all series?

That's the reason. 

When the Phillies weren't botching grounders in the field, they were flailing at bad pitches. When they weren't running the bases like dopes, they were failing to lay down bunts and move runners.

The Dodgers master those small things, the Phillies routinely mess them up, and when they do, boy does it stick out like sore thumb. 

And just like Orion Kerkering's infamous throwing error handed Los Angeles the clinching run in last year's NLDS, any number of mishaps or head-slappers could've been responsible for the Phillies losing their last two games against LA after taking Monday night's opener.

Tuesday night's game ended with the Phillies running themselves into a game-ending double play with the tying run at third and walk-off run at second.

The entire sequence was a comedy of blunders – one we've seen too often before –  led by J.T Realmuto that let the Dodgers escape with a 2-1 win after the Phillies had bombarded them Monday night with four homers in a 10-7 win. 

Wednesday night saw the Phillies blow the chance to go ahead in the fifth with Bryson Stott never getting past second base despite a no-out double in a tie game, only to then have their pitching implode in a 9-5 grudge match defeat.

The Phillies have lost both series coming out of the All-Star break, to the Mets, then to the Dodgers, with the struggling Yankees on deck. When they execute well, they can beat anyone. When they get sloppy, which happens too often, they pay the price.

They blew leads in both games they lost, and after climbing within striking distance of the NL-leading Braves, they couldn't continue to bridge the gap.

Here are the most important things to know about the series between the Phillies and Dodgers:

Trea Turner might as well have spent the series in Wildwood

Trea Turner is a human rollercoaster. How else to describe someone who was booed, cheered, booed again, cheered again, booed again, then finally cheered again – in just one game! 

On Monday, Turner led off the Phils first with a double, the start of a three-hit, five-RBI night that included two homers, including a three-run blast in the sixth off the left field foul pole that opened an 8-3 lead. 

But Turner, who has been abysmal in the field all season, committed his 15th error in the first on a wide throw that forced Cris Sánchez to escape an early jam, then botched a fairly routine grounder in the fourth that was somehow scored a hit because Turner never actually touched the ball, then with the bases loaded and two outs a grounder up the middle bounced off his glove to let another run score on yet another generous call from the score keeper who gave Andy Pages an infield single.

Here's a basic summary of Turner's Monday night (h/t @JomboyMedia):

But the ride wasn't over. Naturally, on Tuesday night, Turner made two diving-stop outs, including this web gem:

Since June 15, when he was batting .216, Turner is slashing .310/.348/.554. 

Zack Wheeler continues to have his best season ever, really

Wheeler took the tough-luck loss Tuesday despite holding the Dodgers to two runs on five hits and striking out nine over 7.0 innings, the latest in a string of dominant outings for the right-hander, who is firmly chasing his first Cy Young award.

Hard to believe, but 2026 could be Wheeler's best season ever – and that's saying something given that he was a Cy Young front-runner at this time last year before a blood cut ended his season and led to Thoracic Outlet surgery and that in 2024 Wheeler won 16 games with a 2.57 ERA.

Through 16 starts, Wheeler is 10-2, pitching to a 2.16 ERA and has 117 Ks in 100 innings.

Also, you know how Wheeler has been saying he'll retire after his contract expires in 2027? He might be changing his mind, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Aaron Nola couldn't keep it up, but he wasn't helped

Aaron Nola had been on a roll going into Wednesday night – three consecutive outings in which he went at least five innings and didn't allow more than three runs. But the Dodgers aren't the Royals, Tigers or Mets.

Nola was good enough through the first four innings and actually had a 2-1 lead before trouble started in the fourth – after going ahead 0-2 on Dalton Rushing, he allowed a two-run double to Rushing, who had homered earlier in the game, as LA went up 3-2.

After the Phils tied the game in their next at bat on Bryan De La Cruz's solo shot, but then stranded a no-out double by Stott mainly because Rafael Marchán couldn't get a bunt down and then Stott made his own base-running blunder getting thrown out at third, the Dodgers chased Nola in their next at bat with a leadoff double by Freddie Freeman followed by a Max Muncy two-run blast for the 5-3 lead.

Nola allowed five runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings and took his fifth straight loss. The last three batters in the Dodgers' lineup combined for six hits and six RBI – another reason they're better than the Phillies. 

At least the Phils have Shohei Ohtani's number

MLB's best player, four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani, had a bad series against Phillies pitching. He went just 1-for-12 in the series, and didn't even make that one hit count as he was thrown out trying to stretch the single into a double. He walked three times – two intentional – and struck out four times.

In total against the Phillies this season, Ohtani has one RBI in 26 at bats – tied for the fewest RBI against any opponent who he has at least 22 at bats against. His slump against the Phils goes back to last year's NLDS, when he mustered just one hit in 18 at bats.

Alec Bohm is warming up, at perhaps the best time

The Aug. 3 trade deadline is quickly approaching, and if the Phillies are going to make some big-time offensive upgrades via trade, Alec Bohm could become part of a package. He's on the last year of his deal and has been in trade reports throughout the past two offseasons.

Perhaps his recent hot bat comes at the perfect time. Bohm had three-hit games on Tuesday and Wednesday, including a two-run shot in the first Wednesday that staked the Phils to an early lead.

Bohm is 10-for-25 (.400) post All-Star break with two homers and six RBI, raising his season slash line to .225/.283/.374 – still not very good, but an improvement.

The Phillies weren't just busy on the diamond

It's been obvious the Phillies need bullpen help, an outfield bat who's right-handed, and a fifth starter. They apparently have their eyes on – basically everyone.

ESPN recently published its updated trade deadline primer, co-authored by Insiders Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel, and the Phils were considered "best fits" for nearly a dozen of the top 25 names, and even some surprising ones – from Tarik Skubal and Mason Miller to ... Shea Langeliers and Hunter Goodman?

Also, per the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser, the Phillies reportedly had scouts in Kansas City to watch Royals-Giants as they keep their eyes on Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos, a 2024 All-Star who has at least 21 homers and 69 RBI in each of the past two seasons, bats right-handed, and is on a similar pace this season.

Jonathan Bowlan's intro music is a buzzkill, but he's pitching well

OK, I was in the ballpark Monday night. After Brandon Marsh had homered in the fourth and then Trea Turner crushed a three-run shot a few batters later with two outs, Citizens Bank Park was rocking.

Then in came jogging Jonathan Bowlan from the bullpen, introduced by the slowest, most mundane musical intro that literally sucked all the juice from the venue as he tossed his warm-ups. The song is a 1961 country jingle called "Big, Bad John" by Jimmy Dean – isn't that a breakfast sausage? – and it makes sense on the surface as the 6-foot-6 Bowlan truly is "big" and named "John."

Maybe he loves the symbolism, but the ballpark lost all its enthusiasm. Listen for yourself:

When you compare that to Jhoan Duran's entrance music, and how the crowd soaks it in, and gets revved up, and the stadium gets dark while fans use their phones to shine spotlights throughout, Bowlan's intro is just a real downer. Just saying. 

Anyway, Bowlan has performed well lately in his role replacing injured Brad Keller as high-leverage right-hander. He pitched Monday and Tuesday, and the only hit he allowed was a Mookie Betts solo homer. That's the only hit he has allowed in his past five appearances. In July, he has allowed one run on four hits in 8.1 innings and struck out nine, for a 1.08 ERA.

The Phillies are catching the Yankees at a good time

After an off day Thursday, the Phillies start a three-game interleague series in South Philly against the Yankees, who continue to be without three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge (rib stress fracture) and are 2-3 since the All-Star break.

The Yankees have also been without veteran lefty Carlos Rodón (elbow), and we all know how the Phils fare against good left-handed pitching. Lefty Max Fried made his return from an injury Wednesday and won't pitch against the Phillies.

SIGN UP HERE to receive PhillyVoice's Sports newsletters.

Follow Geoff on Twitter/X: @geoffpmosher