The Philadelphia Phillies are looking to get back on track after a second half opening loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night. If the team hopes to maintain their slim lead at the top of the NL East, then a win over the visiting Angels would certainly help in that regard. Unfortunately, the team is down 3-1 heading into the fifth inning. One major reason for the deficit is this major baserunning blunder made by star players Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner. X (formerly Twitter) account Talkin' Baseball shared the mental gaffe by the two veterans.

“Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber could have gone about this differently,” posted the baseball-focused account on their page Saturday afternoon.

It's safe to say that the error made by both veterans was uncharacteristic, to say the least. Schwarber and Turner are knowledgeable and well-respected, yet even the most tenured players can make mistakes. Unfortunately, this one led to the loss of two potential runs. If Philadelphia had those runs, then it would be a tied game right now. Mistakes like that hurt any team's ability to win. If Philadelphia hopes to make another deep run into October, then errors like the one Turner and Schwarber can't happen moving forward.

Can Phillies hold onto first place in NL East as second half begins?

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) hits a single against the Los Angeles Angels during the third inning at Citizens Bank Park.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Once again, the National League will be a gauntlet to get through. Not only do the Phillies have to fend off the New York Mets in their division, but competition among a host of other contenders for an NL Wild Card will also be heavy as well. If the team doesn't make many more blunders like the ones made by Turner and Schwarber today, then Philadelphia's chances at playoff glory should go up dramatically.

The remainder of the Phillies' schedule isn't terrible. The next few weeks are filled with AL opponents, followed by a majority of lower tier NL contenders, as well as a few non-playoff teams. Seven more games against the Mets plus a three-game set against the Los Angeles Dodgers in September could show if Philadelphia has what it takes to make a run. As long as their team leaders like Turner and Schwarber don't make mistakes like today's, then winning baseball will no doubt take hold once again at Citizen's Bank Park.

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