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Phillies Outfielders Share Responsibility Over Botched Routine Play

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Mike Ostrowski | Last updated Apr 9, 2025 10:35 AM ET

The Phillies dropped their first game against a division rival this year, and part of the reason they lost to the Atlanta Braves Tuesday night was a miscue in the outfield.

Johan Rojas was playing beside normal infielder Edmundo Sosa, who made his first career start in left. During the 2nd inning, Braves third baseman Austin Riley hit a fly ball towards the space in between them, which dropped when both guys pulled up short. Catcher Sean Murphy would soon drive in Riley on a three-run homer, and the Phils eventually lost by two.

After the game, both Rojas and Sosa owned up to the costly mistake.

""I have to catch that ball," Rojas told NBC Sports Philadelphia's Corey Seidman. "That's my responsibility over there. I have to catch it. There's no excuse."

While the far more experienced outfielder was willing to take the blame for this, Sosa also showed humility and put some of it back on him.

"This is the big leagues," Sosa told Seidman. "We have to make that play all the time. It doesn't matter if it's the first play of the game, last play of the game... we've got to execute all those plays."

It wasn't a total loss of a night for Sosa, who made a ridiculous home run robbery in the 1st inning. And it's likely not the last time Philly will stick their utility man in the outfield to keep getting him at bats.

Rojas meanwhile is suddenly on thin ice out in center field, following up what Rob Thomson called the best game of his career with one of his worst. If this starts to nosedive into continued struggles, then he could face a demotion to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

With just ten games down and many more to go, it's up to both guys to put this one behind them and focus on the next.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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