The Braves turned a tight divisional matchup into a rout with one explosive inning, burying the Phillies in an 8-run fourth and rolling to a lopsided win after Friday night’s 11-inning battle.
Atlanta did get a small break before first pitch when the Phillies scratched Jesus Luzardo because of long-running shoulder soreness. That didn’t stop Bryce Harper from making the early statement, though. Tyler Mahle worked through the first two hitters before Harper launched a monster homer and took a comically long time circling the bases, a clear nod back at the controversy stirred by Zach Wheeler’s comments about Ronald Acuna’s home run celebrations last week.
For a couple of innings, Philadelphia held the 1-0 edge and looked settled. Then the fourth happened, and the game basically disappeared from the Phillies’ side.
Ronald Acuna opened the frame with a towering homer of his own, and this time the trot looked perfectly ordinary. From there, the Braves kept stacking traffic: walk, single, single, single, error, wild pitch, walk, double, single.
By the time the inning finally ended, Atlanta had poured in eight runs. Drake Baldwin delivered the double in the middle of it, and Acuna came back around for the last single that drove in the final run of the inning.
Mahle barely blinked after Harper’s homer. He finished with 7.0 innings of one-run ball, didn’t issue a walk, and allowed only seven whiffs and three strikeouts. Atlanta added another run in the sixth after a Ronald ABS strikeout turned into a walk, an Olson ground ball turned into an error, and Ozzie followed with a sacrifice fly.
Philadelphia got a little something back in the eighth when Crawford hit a solo homer off Brent Suter. Atlanta answered with three more in that same inning against the Phillies’ position-player pitcher. Kiersey singled, Albies doubled, and Harris drove a homer off the right-field foul pole.
Suter closed it out in the ninth, and the Braves only had to use Mahle and Suter on the night. On the other side, the Phillies’ bullpen took another hit after Friday’s 11-inning game and then today’s blowout bullpen outing.
In Other News...
Braves Catch A Huge Opening After Phillies Change Saturday Plans
Saturdays pitching picture shifted quickly when Phillies manager Don Mattingly said Jess Luzardo would be scratched from his start against the Braves because of shoulder stiffness. Philadelphia has not named the replacement yet, but it has already signaled it will go with an opener, which changes the tone of a game that had been set up around a more traditional starter.
For Atlanta, the timing is a welcome break in what should still be a tight divisional test. A bullpen-led approach can turn a familiar matchup into a longer, more unpredictable night, and it gives the Braves a chance to adjust their game plan before first pitch once the Phillies reveal how they want to cover the innings. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Suddenly Change Plans For A Braves Game That Matters
The Phillies had lined up Jesus Luzardo to take the ball in an upcoming game against the Braves, but that plan changed quickly when the left-hander was scratched because of stiffness in his left shoulder, according to manager Don Mattingly. Philadelphia will turn the matchup into a bullpen game instead, a notable adjustment in a series where every start can matter with Atlanta still tracking the shape of the race around it.
Luzardo has been one of the Phillies most important pitchers this season, working deep into games and showing why the club moved to secure him with a five-year extension. For now, the hope is that the setback costs him only a few days, with the team planning to give him extra rest before bringing him back into the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Fans Wanted This Deadline Arm And It Looks Worse By The Week
When the trade deadline passed, plenty of Braves fans had their eyes on Casey Mize as a possible rotation fix, but Atlanta never made the move and the former Tigers right-hander instead landed with the Padres. In the weeks since, the comparison has tilted sharply in the Braves favor, with Mize struggling to settle in San Diego while Tyler Mahle has given Atlanta the kind of dependable work it wanted in the rotation.
For a front office that gets graded on the margins this time of year, this has become one of those decisions that looks better with every start. Alex Anthopoulos passed on a pitcher many in Atlanta wanted, and the early returns suggest the Braves may have been right to stay patient rather than chase a deadline name that has not translated well so far. [Read more 🡒]