NEW YORK — All the ingredients were there for the Phillies to complete a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees on Sunday afternoon.

•The Phillies had won the previous two games averaging 10.5 runs on a combined 27 hits.

•Two players who collected a couple of injuries during the weekend were deemed good to go.

•The opposition’s best player, maybe the best in the league in Aaron Judge, was put on the Injured List due to a right flexor strain in his elbow.

•And the ace of the National League was on the mound in Zack Wheeler.

If not for one uncharacteristically bad inning for Wheeler, perhaps that sweep could have been attained. But the Phillies couldn’t overcome a four-run second inning by the Yankees that featured two hit batsmen by Wheeler in what turned into a 4-3 loss at Yankee Stadium.

With the loss, the Phillies are now 60-45 and a game behind the New York Mets in the East. The Mets face the San Francisco Giants Sunday evening. 

The Yankees profitable inning began with a single by Giancarlo Stanton, before Wheeler plunked both Jazz Chisholm, Jr. and Jason Dominguez. Newly acquired third baseman Ryan McMahon then rolled a double down the third base line to score two. A sacrifice fly and a single plated two more runs for the Yankees. But that was it for them for the day.

All this came after the Phillies had scored two in the top half with home runs by Nick Castellanos and Otto Kemp. Yet another ingredient for a win by the Phillies in staking Wheeler to a two-run lead. But it wasn’t to be on a steamy day in the Bronx. The Phillies begin a three-game series Monday in Chicago against the White Sox.

“I just wasn’t sharp, same thing as last game,” said Wheeler, who fell to 9-4 and now has a 2.56 ERA after going 5.2 innings with four earned runs and eight strikeouts. “First two games off the (All-Star) break haven’t been as sharp. Hitting three guys today and two walks. Just have to clean it up a little bit and keep it going.”

In Wheeler’s last outing against Boston he gave up just two earned runs in six innings and struck out 10. That’s how high the expectations are for himself and, quite frankly, from others because he has been so dominant.

“Just a little bit off, he was yanking a lot of pitches, three hit batsman, less than 60 percent of strike percentage,” said manager Rob Thomson. “So that’s a little bit off. But, hey, he grinded through it. He had that one tough inning, threw a bunch of pitches, but he got through it and we had a chance to win.”

A good amount of chances, due to some spectacular defense and balls that were hit well but just couldn’t find their ways out of the confines of Yankee Stadium.

Down 4-2 in the third inning, Wheeler gave up a leadoff triple to Cody Bellinger that bounced under the glove of a charging Castellanos in right field. After a strikeout of Giancarlo Stanton, Jazz Chisholm, Jr. hit a line to left-center that Johan Rojas made a catch while running at top speed towards the infield. Bellinger tagged and Rojas fired a bullet to home that catcher J.T. Realmuto leaped high for and somehow caught and made a sweep-tag on Bellinger for the final out of the inning.

J.T. Realmuto makes incredible leaping play at the plate vs. the Yankees on Sunday afternoon.

“That was two athletes right there, making a really good play,” said Thomson.

Kemp got the Phillies to within one with his second home run of the day. That was all the scoring anyone could put together, though Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto and Bryson Stott all hit long fly balls that seemed to have a chance when they left the bat. Kemp also had a terrific diving catch to his left from his third base spot in the seventh inning off the bat of Bellinger. All-in-all, a pretty good day for the rookie.

“It’s one of these parks that’s pretty iconic,” said Kemp. “To get a couple starts here and hit two out today is pretty sweet, it’s a dream. This is what you play for, to compete in places like this. It’s all new so there’s that but at the same time it’s just another day in the life. It’s the same game I’ve been playing my whole life. The scenery is a little different and a little bit more people watching but it doesn’t change too much.”

The ingredients were there for the Phillies on Sunday. They all just didn’t mesh together.

Bohm sighting

Third baseman Alec Bohm, who continues to recover from a fractured rib, joined the team in New York Sunday and will travel with them to Chicago. He did some throwing but no swinging before Sunday’s game. There is no timetable for his return as of yet.

Scary moment

Later in the game a foul ball went off the head of a lady sitting down the third base line. It turns out the ball hit Nick Castellanos’ mom. Castellanos said after the game that his mom was good, “has a hard head,” and was being treated for a minor concussion.

Judge sidelined

Yankees superstar Aaron Judge was sidelined after the first game of the series with what turned out to be right flexor strain. He was placed on the 10-day Injured List and will be used as a designated hitter upon his return, according to manager Aaron Boone. Judge is hitting .342 with 37 home runs and 85 RBI.