In another up-and-down affair between two divisional rivals, this time the Atlanta Braves found themselves on the short end of the stick. A late dinger from Trea Turner ended up making the difference as the Braves dropped a close one, 4-3.
As you could’ve probably predicted based on last night’s predicted pitchers’ duel turning into a battle of the bats, tonight’s game started off slow in terms of offense as both pitchers kept their opposition off of the scoreboard in the early goings. Grant Holmes was very sharp to start off and Taijuan Walker was off to a good start, himself, before the third inning rolled around.
That's when the Braves started making some noise with two outs. Ozzie Albies and Marcell Ozuna consecutively hit singles, which set the stage for Matt Olson to draw a walk from Walker, filling the bases. The pressure then fell on Austin Riley, but as we Braves fans know all too well, he fouled out on a 2-0 pitch—a cutter—that both Ozuna and Olson had wisely let go during their turns at bat. This ended our scoring opportunity with the bases full.
Once that scoring opportunity faded away, the Braves had no option but to proceed with the remainder of the game, hoping earnestly that the baseball deities wouldn’t exact their typical retribution for squandering a bases-loaded situation. Fortunately, the baseball powers-that-be showed leniency. Meanwhile, Nick Castellanos maintained his individual winning streak against Grant Holmes by getting a hit, followed swiftly by Bryson Stott adding another base knock which marked his second consecutive at-bat without reaching base safely—although this was somewhat alleviated by Austin Riley’s impressive grab on a line drive off the bat of J.T. Realmuto. This sequence concluded with Holmes stepping back onto the mound. struck out Brandon Marsh to put an end to the scoring threat right there.
Holmes reached 94 pitches after the fourth inning and managed to return for the fifth. It appeared he had struck out Kyle Schwarber for the first out of the fifth, but what seemed like a swinging strike was instead deemed a foul tip. The count eventually filled up, leading to Schwarber walking to first base. After that, Grant Holmes' night came to an end.
Aaron Bummer had the responsibility to keep the game scoreless and ensure that Grant Holmes' lineup didn’t register any scores for the evening. Fortunately for his team, Bummer rose to the occasion; he fanned Trea Turner and subsequently induced Bryce Harper to hit an inning-ending double play—much to the joy of the audience gathered at the stadium in Cobb County.
As this unfolded, Taijuan Walker managed to navigate through the initial five innings without allowing any runs. However, the Braves nearly disrupted his clean slate when they filled the bases against him yet again with just two outs remaining. Following that, Walker left the game, leaving it to Austin Riley to capitalize on their second bases-filled situation of the evening. Unfortunately for Atlanta, Riley couldn’t deliver another significant blow during this match; instead, he lofted a popup into shallow right field which Philadelphia successfully caught, thus concluding the second missed scoring opportunity of the night for the Braves.
Following Aaron Bummer striking out the initial hitter he faced in the sixth before conceding a base hit as part of his regular tribute to the BABIP deities, we witnessed Pierce Johnson’s return after missing one game. Nearly wriggling free from a tight spot with two outs and runners at the corners, Johnson faltered when Bryson Stott grounded towards the shallow outfield area. Despite Ozzie Albies grabbing the ball, he fumbled during the exchange process; this allowed Max Kepler—who had been anticipating the pitch due to being behind in counts—to dash home all the way from second, thereby scoring during the same action which placed the Phillies in front later in the sixth frame.
The good news is that the Braves responded immediately to the Phillies pushing that run past the plate in frustrating fashion. Sean Murphy got things going with a walk and then Jarred Kelenic joined him on the basepaths with a one-out double. This time, the Braves didn’t let this scoring chance pass them by as Orlando Arcia hit a grounder that somehow got through both Trea Turner and Alec Bohm and found the outfield for a game-tying single. Michael Harris II then hit one deep and while it wasn’t a homer, it was productive enough to bring home the initiating sprint on a sacrifice fly Although Atlanta didn’t manage to score additional runs in that inning, the swift reaction was quite encouraging.
As the seventh inning began, Bryce Harper realized he was facing the Braves again – an opportunity for more mischief. With a runner on base, Dylan Lee threw him a 95-mph fastball down the center of the plate; however, this was precisely what Bryce Harper excels at hitting. He sent the ball flying over to the home bullpen, giving the Phillies the lead in a single powerful stroke. Although cheering against Bryce Harper can be entertaining, you might prefer holding your jeers until after he has smashed a homerun deep towards East Point.
Once again, the responsibility fell to the Braves to step up, and as usual, they rose to meet the challenge. This time around, it was Austin Riley who stepped up to bat and came through with a crucial hit. It appeared as though he was determined to compensate for his earlier misses during this game. absolutely mashed one From Joe Ross and sent it ricocheting off the scoreboard in the road bullpen for a tying solo home run.
In the eighth inning, Daysbel Hernández entered the game aiming to maintain the tie after his strong performance on Tuesday evening. Despite J.T. Realmuto advancing to scoring position thanks to a walk and a steal, Daysbel managed to leave him stranded. He achieved this by striking out on the attempted steal and inducing a groundout from Brandon Marsh, thereby keeping the match even.
As the game remained deadlocked going into the ninth inning, it was time for Raisel Iglesias to step up and secure extra innings at minimum. Facing Philadelphia’s potent lineup, he knew a confrontation with Bryce Harper would be imminent since they were about to face the top of the Phillies’ batting order. However, tragedy struck earlier than expected when Trea Turner pounced on Iglesias' pitch, sending a powerful line drive over the fence—a home run that left rookie outfielder Eli White grasping futilely from center field. This play handed Philadelphia the lead. Ironically, despite fanning Harper for just the third time in their rivalry, this minor victory provided little solace amidst the disappointment.
Once again, the responsibility fell to the Braves to find a way to answer back during their half of the ninth inning since some key players were due to bat soon too. However, despite this pressure, the Braves did not yield easily. With runners positioned at first and third base and only two outs remaining, Sean Murphy stepped up to possibly force extra innings—or beyond. Yet, instead, Jose Alvarado managed to strike out Murphy. Consequently, the game concluded aptly for the Braves—with potential runners left unresolved on base.
The quest for a series victory goes on. Despite having multiple opportunities, the Braves ultimately fell short as the Phillies managed to secure key hits throughout the evening. Although Austin Riley hit a home run, those two crucial times when they left the bases loaded was agonizingly difficult to witness. It would have made all the difference if either opportunity had been capitalized upon. Moving forward, the Braves must shift their attention towards securing the series win, with Spencer Stripling set to pitch during Thursday night’s matchup at 7:15 PM ET.
