Phillips blew a save opportunity against Tampa Bay on Saturday, allowing one run on one hit while striking out three batters over one inning.
Phillips entered in the ninth inning with the Dodgers up by one run and served up a game-tying solo shot to the first batter he faced (Junior Caminero). Though Phillips bounced back to strike out the next three hitters, it was nonetheless a missed opportunity for the All-Star reliever as he seeks to reestablish himself as the Dodgers' primary closer. The right-hander lost his ninth-inning role after a rough stretch from late June to late July during which he posted an 11.42 ERA and blew two saves over 11 appearances spanning 8.2 innings. Phillips has rebounded in August, as he entered Saturday with 8.1 scoreless frames and a 13:1 K:BB through 10 outings, and he notched his first save in nearly a month Aug. 19 versus Seattle. It's unclear how much Saturday's blown save will impact his opportunities for saves moving forward, but it's likely that Los Angeles will continue to distribute such chances to a variety of relievers, including Michael Kopech and Daniel Hudson in addition to Phillips.