Atlanta scored three goals in the eighth to pull away in a back-and-forth game
Austin Riley lead off twice, and Travis d’Arnaud came up with a big pinch late to help the Atlanta Braves hold off the Philadelphia Phillies 8-5 on Thursday night.
The Braves offense started quickly against Aaron Nola at the start. Matt Olson’s single then came all the way when Austin Riley lined a 459-foot touchdown run to left center to give Atlanta a 2-0 lead. It was Riley’s fourth career home run off NOLA.
Dylan Dodd allowed only one single on the first, but had trouble on the second. JT Realmuto singled out and then Alec Bohm brought it home with a long home run to center to tie the game. Then Brandon Marsh scored on a double and scored on two goals by Bryson Stott to put Philadelphia up 3-2.
The Phillies’ lead was short-lived, however, as Marcel Ozuna Nola drove to right field to tie the game.
Dodd worked himself another jam in the third while the Phillies loaded the bases with one out. Baum then sent a grind to Riley on third who stomped on the bag and then threw a home run just in time to cut off Nick Castellanos for a double play at the end of the inning.
Atlanta squandered an opportunity in the third period at home. Ronald Acuna Jr. doubled to start the inning and then Matt Olson walked. Then they stole a double with both runners moving 90 feet. However, Nola came back and beat up Riley, Shaun Murphy and Eddie Rosario to leave the contestants stranded.
Dodd retired the side in order in the fourth and then the Braves struck again. Ozuna kicked things off with a hit single and then moved up to third on a hit single by Orlando Arcia. Ozuna’s second Michael Harris brought home a sacrifice fly to make it 4-3.
Dudd hit Trea Turner to start the fifth, but then hooked the slider to Bryce Harper, who smashed it on a solo home run to tie the game again. Then Dodd stormed back and hit Castellanos and Schwarber to end the inning.
The swing continued into a fifth-inning home run as Riley Nola took it deep again to put Atlanta back to a 5-4 lead.
Kirby Yates took over the sixth and Bohm allowed a single, but nothing else in a scoreless inning.
Dodd gave up a lot of hard contact, but kept the Braves at close range. He allowed seven hits, one walk and four runs while throwing 83 pitches over five innings pitched.
AJ Minter struck out in the seventh and retired the first two batters before Harper reached bottom of the third base line. Castellanos then snuck a slow ball through midfield to put runners into the corners. Schwarber tied the game as he hooked a single into right field. It initially appeared that Arcia’s throw home was late and Castellanos was called safe, but the Braves challenged and the call was overturned.
Nick Anderson entered the eighth and struck out Realmuto and Bohm before he floored Brandon Marsh to end the inning.
The Braves offense got back into action in the eighth against Phillies reliever Gregory Soto. He singled Ozzie Alpes with one out and then moved to third on a ground-rule double by Ozuna. Soto then marched to Arcia to load the bases. Brian Snitker then sent Travis d’Arno to the plate in Harris’ place, and d’Arno rewarded the selection with a sharp one-two pull through the game that tied the game and scored twice to put Atlanta ahead 7–5.
Brave is not finished. Acuña dropped in a right single to load the bases again. Olson then returned home another run with a sacrifice fly to right to extend the lead to 8–5. Raizel Iglesias scored in the ninth minute to seal the win.
The series will continue on Friday with Jared Schuster matched up against Phillies right-handed Taeguan Walker.
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