ATLANTA (AP) — Brandon Marsh’s go-ahead pinch-hit sacrifice fly in the eighth inning secured a 3-2 victory for the Philadelphia Phillies over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night.
The win extended the Phillies’ lead in the National League East to seven games over the Braves, with five more matchups between the two teams remaining in the regular season.
“Every win is crucial,” Phillies starter Aaron Nola remarked. “No lead is safe right now, especially with these guys. They always give us a tough game. It’s always a challenge.”
Weston Wilson went 2-for-3 and scored the decisive run in the eighth inning after starting with a double. Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner each drove in a run for the Phillies.
Nola pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on eight hits and two walks, while striking out five.
“I aimed to keep it at two runs and give the team a chance,” Nola added.
Matt Strahm (5-2) secured the win by pitching a scoreless seventh inning.
Carlos Estévez notched his 22nd save by stranding runners on second and third to close out the game.
Atlanta’s Max Fried delivered his strongest performance in four starts since returning from the injured list after the All-Star break. He allowed two runs on four hits over seven innings, striking out four. Joe Jiménez (1-5) took the loss.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson praised his team’s offensive efficiency, noting they scored three runs with only six baserunners.
“We manufactured all three of our runs,” Thomson said. “Wilson led off the eighth with a double. (Bryson) Stott pinch hit and moved him over with a long fly ball. Marsh then pinch hit and brought him in with another long fly ball. That’s how you win playoff games.”
Orlando Arcia went 1 for 3 with his 12th home run, and Jarred Kelenic was 2 for 4 with a run scored for Atlanta.
Arcia’s home run in the fourth inning opened the scoring. With Kelenic on first after a leadoff single, Arcia hit a ball just over the left field wall, giving the Braves a 2-0 lead. He seemed to glare at Bryce Harper while rounding first base, a gesture reminiscent of Harper’s stare at Arcia after hitting a home run in the 2023 National League Division Series.
“I was just enjoying my home run,” Arcia said through an interpreter after the game.
The Phillies tied the game with two runs in the sixth inning after Fried had retired the first 15 batters. Edmundo Sosa led off with a single, and Johan Rojas followed with a double over Kelenic’s head in left field. Schwarber drove in the first run with a groundout, and Turner brought Rojas home with a sacrifice fly.
The injury-plagued Braves have used three players recently released by other teams—Gio Urshela (Tigers), Ramón Laureano (A’s), and Whit Merrifield (Phillies)—in the last two games. All three had at least one hit on Wednesday.
**TRAINER’S ROOM**
– Braves: LHP A.J. Minter underwent season-ending hip surgery on Wednesday. He last pitched on August 11 and finishes his eighth season with the Braves with a 5-4 record, one save, and a 2.62 ERA. He will enter the offseason as a free agent. … C Travis d’Arnaud (wrist) was available if needed after being hit by a pitch on Saturday. … OF Jorge Soler (hamstring) ran the bases and is day-to-day, with a possible return later in the week. He pinch-hit in the ninth inning but popped out.
**UP NEXT**
The Braves will start rookie RHP Spencer Schwellenbach (4-6, 4.04) against Phillies LHP Cristopher Sánchez (9-8, 3.46) in the series finale on Thursday.
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