Rafael Marchan enjoyed a big day offensively and defensively as the Philadelphia Phillies nipped the visiting Atlanta Braves 5-4 on Thursday in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.
Philadelphia received a home run from an expected source and an unexpected source, as Marchan’s first homer of the season and Kyle Schwarber’s 19th paved the way for the team’s 11th win in 12 games.
Marchan was hit by a pitch to force in the decisive run in the bottom of the eighth before he threw out the potential tying run at second base in the ninth.
A.J. Smith-Shawver reportedly suffered an elbow injury and left in the third inning for Atlanta, which lost for the sixth time in seven games. The Braves will try to avoid a three-game sweep Thursday evening, when Chris Sale faces Zack Wheeler in a matchup of veteran aces.
With the teams tied at 4-4, Nick Castellanos opened the bottom of the eighth inning with a single up the middle against Daysbel Hernandez (3-1) — his fourth hit of the game — and moved to second on Max Kepler’s walk. Johan Rojas sacrificed before Brandon Marsh walked to load the bases.
Hernandez then plunked Marchan on his front foot to force in the go-ahead run.
Phillies closer Jordan Romano allowed three walks and a hit in the ninth but caught a break when Marchan gunned down Ozzie Albies trying to steal second. Later in the frame, with the bases loaded, Romano got Eli White on a called third strike to end it.
Marchan staked the hosts to a 2-0 lead in the third inning with a two-run blast. Philadelphia nearly blew it open in the fourth, but Braves center fielder Michael Harris II robbed Kepler of a three-run homer.
Trea Turner extended the Phillies’ lead with a single in the fifth, but Atlanta’s Sean Murphy and Ronald Acuna Jr. had RBI singles in the sixth to make it 3-2.
Schwaber’s seventh-inning home run increased Philadelphia’s lead to 4-2, but the visitors promptly tied it against Matt Strahm in the eighth. Murphy’s solo homer sliced into the deficit, and then Acuna and Harris delivered consecutive doubles to forge a 4-4 tie.
Jose Ruiz (1-0) recorded the final out of the eighth to earn the victory.
