ST. LOUIS — When Bryce Harper took the ninth pitch of the plate appearance, a 3-2 cutter, it felt for the first time all night as if the Philadelphia Phillies had momentum. They hit into three double plays before the eighth inning, departing the field after each frame on a stagnant, sweltering night in St. Louis with nothing to show.Then three batters walked to start the eighth. And Luis Arraez, arguably the best hitter traded at the deadline, stepped to the plate. He took a high slider, before doing what he is known for — making contact — on the second pitch. It went straight to first baseman Alec Burleson, who sent it to catcher Pedro Pages at home, who promptly flipped it back to Burleson, who tapped first. Two outs, and a rally killed.“No doubt, (you’d) take him up there in these spots over the last few games,” interim manager Don Mattingly said. “No. 1, you know he’s going to put it in play. That’s just who he is. He’s going to hit the ball hard somewhere. He’s going to hit it — just today, (he) hit it right at that guy.”That has been the trend for several days for Arraez, who has seven hits in 36 at-bats in a Phillies uniform — and none hits in his last 15. It is premature to worry about a player whose .314 batting average ranks second in the National League, but that number has fallen 10 points since his debut with the Phillies just over a week ago, a noteworthy difference for a player known for constantly making contact.Dave Dombrowski on Phillies' position shifts for Arraez tradeJayson StarkIt all feels heightened for these Phillies, approaching the stretch run tied with the San Diego Padres for the final National League wild-card spot. Every misstep — any bullpen struggles, failing to capitalize on an at-bat such as Arraez’s in the eighth — will draw greater scrutiny.