The Phillies — the team that won’t let you down.

Look, there’s no sugarcoating things this morning. Wednesday night brought upon us the latest multi-layered nightmare in Philly sports.

The Sixers’ meltdown in an unthinkable 109-106 loss to the Hawks is/was a lot of things — depressing, stunning, and embarrassing are just some of the ways to describe what transpired. Some would even say the loss is worthy of permanent commemoration, a game to be discussed in this area for all of eternity whenever the topic of kick-to-the-groin losses is raised.

A Mount Rushmore game.

Please note, this submission has been accepted and will be reviewed by our very own Kevin Kinkead, keeper of the Mount Rushmore flame.

BUT…

Out west, some 2,719.3 miles away (thanks, Google Maps) at Dodger Stadium, the Phillies were able to salvage the final game of what would have otherwise been a disastrous (perhaps hyperbolic in this current context) three-game series.

Obviously, the Phils’ 2-0 win is sure to dominate both headlines and airwaves around the city today.

Fine. Maybe not. But the game happened, and it was a good win for a banged-up team that is desperately trying to stay within shouting distance of the red-hot Mets. The victory also gives the Phillies a chance to regroup before heading to San Francisco with a realistic opportunity to break even on a hellacious six-game west coast trip, provided they play a decent weekend of baseball against Gabe Kapler and friends.

Zack Wheeler didn’t have double-digit strikeout stuff or pinpoint command this time around, but he still managed to blank the Dodgers through six innings. Wheeler, who lowered his ERA to 2.15 and further made a case to be the National League All-Star Game starter, navigated some tight spots with little margin for error. He did so without his “A-game,” which is exactly what elite pitchers do.

The little margin for error he did have was supplied by Rhys Hoskins, who finally ended a brutal 0-for-33 skid with a first-inning homer off Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw:

The Phillies would add another run in the third inning on a J.T. Realmuto double that plated Odubel Herrera. Unsurprisingly, that’s the only scoring the Phillies would get after going 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position, bringing their series total to 2-for-30. Fortunately for them, it was the only scoring they would need.

After exiting at 98 pitches, Wheeler gave way to Jose Alvarado, who had not pitched since a late-game debacle against Atlanta last Thursday. This time around, the Phillies got the nasty version of the unpredictable reliever.

Alvarado needed just 11 pitches to wipe away the trio of Mookie Betts, Gavin Lux, and Chris Taylor on strikes in what was probably his most electrifying performance of the season to date:

Hector Neris then closed things out in a, uh, interesting ninth inning. He needed just 10 pitches to record three outs, but two of those pitches landed on the persons of Dodgers batters Steven Souza Jr. and Will Smith. It did not matter, as he still managed to pick up his tenth save of the season.

Good. OK. Think we’re caught up here. Let’s get it back to the Sixers.