PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Austin Riley homered, doubled and drove in three runs in Atlanta’s 10-run second inning, Dansby Swanson also went deep and the Braves held on for a wild 12-10 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday night.
Nick Markakis and Marcell Ozuna each added three hits and two RBIs for the first-place Braves, who avoided a three-game sweep and moved three games ahead of the Phillies and Miami in the NL East. Every Atlanta starter got at least one hit and scored at least one run.
Andrew McCutchen, Rhys Hoskins, Didi Gregorius and Roman Quinn homered for the Phillies, whose five-game winning streak was snapped.
“Our guys battled,” Phillies manager Joe Girardi said. “We just came up a little short.”
The teams combined for 28 hits in a game that took 4 hours, 13 minutes.
Every Braves batter scored at least once in the second, which started innocently enough when Markakis grounded out to pitcher Jake Arrieta (2-4). But Arrieta wouldn’t get another out while facing the next seven batters, and he was lifted for David Hale after Marcell Ozuna’s RBI infield single that made it 5-0.
Hale, making his first appearance with the Phillies since being acquired from the Yankees on Aug. 21, surrendered an RBI single to Travis d’Arnaud, a two-run double to Markakis and, finally, a two-run drive to deep left-center by Riley that put the Braves ahead 10-0.
Even with the big lead, Braves manager Brian Snitker didn't feel relaxed in the Phillies' hitter-friendly ballpark.
“You’re never safe in this ballpark,” he said. “You don’t feel comfortable ever with any lead."
The Phillies got a run back in the bottom of the frame on Gregorius’ solo shot to right before scoring six runs in the third off starter Tommy Milone. McCutchen’s RBI double, Hoskins’ two-run homer to left, Gregorius’ two-run triple to right and Phil Gosselin’s RBI groundout gave Philadelphia hope. The Phillies actually got the go-ahead run to the plate in the frame. But McCutchen, batting for the second time in the inning, grounded out with runners on first and second.
“We never put our head down,” Gregorius said. “It just shows you that our team never gives up.”
The Braves got some more breathing room in the fifth on Ozuna’s two-out RBI single to left that made it 11-8.
But the Phillies closed within a run in the eighth on back-to-back one-out solo homers by Quinn and McCutchen off lefty Will Smith. Smith escaped more trouble by getting Hoskins and Harper to fly out.
Swanson cleared the wall in center in the ninth for a two-run cushion for Mark Melancon, who pitched a scoreless ninth for his sixth save in seven opportunities.
"That’s a big add-on right there," Snitker said of Swanson's homer.
A.J. Minter (1-0) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings for the victory.
Arrieta lasted just 1 ⅓ innings and gave up seven runs on six hits with three walks and no strikeouts.
“Just flat-out didn’t throw the ball very well,” Arrieta said.
Milone allowed seven runs in 2 ⅓ innings in his first start with the Braves after being acquired earlier on Sunday from the Orioles for two players to be named. Atlanta is hoping the 33-year-old lefty can provide some help to the rotation. Milone is the 11th different starter the Braves have used this season, and most of them haven’t had much success. Left-hander Max Fried is 5-0 with a 1.35 ERA, and the other 10 Braves starters are a combined 1-10 with a 7.23.
HOT HOSKINS
Hoskins went deep for the fourth time in six games.
STILL STREAKING
Freddie Freeman extended his hitting streak to 13 consecutive games with a two-run single in the second.
GIRARDI GONE
Girardi was ejected by second-base umpire Bill Welke in the ninth after arguing a foul ball call off the bat of Ender Inciarte.
“Tonight I didn’t deserve to get tossed for what I said and I’m pretty frustrated by it,” Girardi said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Braves: CF Ronald Acuna Jr. (right hamstring tightness) was lifted after the Braves batted in the second inning. Acuna scored on Freeman’s single. … OF Adam Duvall (sore left Achilles) returned to the lineup after missing Saturday’s game.
Phillies: LHP Ranger Suarez threw a bullpen session on Sunday and could be activated soon. Suarez was 6-1 with a 3.14 ERA in 37 games last season but hasn’t pitched in 2020.
UP NEXT
Braves: Open a three-game series at Boston on Monday night. Braves LHP Max Fried (5-0, 1.35) opposes RHP Colten Brewer (0-2, 4.57).
Phillies: Begin a four-game home set with Washington on Monday night. Phillies RHP Spencer Howard (0-1, 6.17) faces RHP Erick Fedde (1-2, 3.57).
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