Phillies sit second baseman Luis Arraez after scary ankle sprain as NL playoff race tightens

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Luis Arraez was not in the starting lineup against Tampa Bay on Friday night because of a sprained left ankle .

Bryson Stott will start at second base in the first game of a three-game series with the Phillies needing at least one win to move closer to their fifth straight playoff berth.

Arraez was injured after he tried to avoid a tag at first base in the Phillies' loss to Milwaukee on Thursday night.

Obtained from San Francisco at the trade deadline , Arraez stayed down for a while as trainers tended to him. He eventually hobbled off the field with assistance.

Arraez is a three-time batting champion and leads the National League this season with a .310 batting average.

Philadelphia leads Arizona by two games with three to play. The Diamondbacks finish the season at San Diego and own the tiebreaker over the Phillies.

The Phillies can clinch Friday with a win against the Rays and an Arizona loss to San Diego.

Philadelphia sends Cristopher Sánchez (18-6, 2.93 ERA) to the mound Friday against the AL East champion Rays, needing its ace left-hander to calm the nerves inside the clubhouse — and silence the fans who booed the team off the field after its latest loss. The Phillies have lost 12 of 20.

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