It's tempting to think that, when circumstances don't go the way we intend them to, everything that preceded it becomes all for naught. That, of course, isn't the case, as Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley can attest to. But for now, those words ring hollow, especially in the immediate aftermath of their crushing defeat to the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS for the second-consecutive season.

Riley himself acknowledged just how difficult it will be for the Braves to move forward from this especially after putting up a season in which they looked like far and away the best team in the MLB, wherein they finished with the best record in the league while boasting the services of presumptive NL MVP Ronald Acuna Jr.

“You look back over the year that we had and all the great success and get into the playoffs and things don't go your way, it's a tough pill to swallow,” Riley said, per Kevin McAlpin of Braves Radio Network.

Dealing with playoff exits is never an easy task, especially for individuals with incredibly competitive streaks (basically all professional athletes). But there are a few additional wrinkles that make this NLDS defeat an even more devastating one for Austin Riley and the Braves.

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First of all, the Braves will be wondering what it is that they must do to overcome the Phillies, as for the second-straight year, their playoff hopes are dashed by the same team. And during both years, the Phillies finished with 14 fewer wins than the Braves, showing a huge gulf in quality in terms of top-to-bottom roster depth.

Secondly, the Braves will feel especially hard done by the “locker-room leak” that may have spurred Bryce Harper and the rest of the Phillies squad's explosion, which is now made worse by the fact that a rookie reliever is trolling them in the locker room.

At the end of the day, the Braves, just like their fellow playoff disappointments Los Angeles Dodgers, should be built for contention for years to come. Now, they better be hoping they don't run into the Phillies again this time next year.