The Braves and Phillies spent Friday night in a game that felt a lot bigger than mid-September, and Atlanta walked away with the kind of finish that can tilt a division race.
Drake Baldwin delivered the last swing, lining a two-out RBI double in the 11th to lift the Braves past the Phillies, 6-5, at Truist Park. Ha-Seong Kim had already kept the inning alive with a game-tying single off Brooks Raley, then raced home from first on Baldwin’s winner.
That hit pushed Atlanta to 87-61 and stretched its lead over second-place Philadelphia to five games in the National League East. The Phillies dropped to 82-66, and the two clubs will still have 12 games left after they wrap up their season series Sunday.
Atlanta had to claw back more than once to get there. The Braves tied it in the ninth, then both teams scored in the 10th before Luis Arraez’s single off Didier Fuentes briefly put Philadelphia back in front in the 11th.
The comeback started with Mike Yastrzemski’s one-out single in the ninth. Pinch-runner DaShawn Kiersey Jr. took over and scored from first when Derek Hill bobbled Sean Murphy’s game-tying single in center.
The Braves had opened the scoring early on Matt Olson’s two-out solo homer in the first inning off Aaron Nola. Atlanta left two runners on base in both the second and third innings, then didn’t score again until Austin Riley started the bottom of the seventh with a homer off Nola.
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 🡒]