Categories: 2019 Postgame Recaps

Braves hang 15 runs on Phillies in rout

Ronald Acuna homered Saturday night. (Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire)

The Philadelphia Phillies (54-50) had no chance against the hot bats of the Atlanta Braves (62-43) once again as they dropped another blowout contest to their NL East foes, 15-7. This game got out of hand early, the third inning to be specific, when the Braves put up a seven-spot to take a 10-run lead.

Saturday night’s game marks the sixth time in 2019 that the Braves have scored 9+ runs against the Phillies and the third time they have scored 12+ runs. Atlanta leads the season series 6-5 after the rout in Philadelphia on Saturday.

Atlanta got their scoring started in the second inning. Zach Eflin got two quick outs, but gave up a single to Tyler Flowers. Ender Inciarte followed with a two-run home run to right field to give the Braves a 2-0 lead. Eflin then walked the opposing pitcher, Max Fried, and Ronald Acuña Jr. made him pay with a two-run blast to deep center, making it 4-0.

The Phils got one run back in the bottom half of the second courtesy of a Tyler Flowers passed ball. That’s as close as the Phillies would get, though.

In the top of the third, the Braves blew things open. Freddie Freeman reached on a lead-off walk then scored on a double off the bat of Josh Donaldson to make it 5-1. Adam Duvall singled and Tyler Flowers reached on a fielders choice to load the bases. Ender Inciarte plated Donaldson with an infield single in the next at bat and Max Fried scored Duvall with an RBI groundout. Eflin then walked Acuña, which brought out Gabe Kapler from the dugout spelling the end for the right-hander. Ranger Suarez didn’t fare much better as the first hitter he faced, Ozzie Albeis, hit a grand slam to make it an 11-1 game in favor of the Braves.

Atlanta added two more runs in the top of the fourth courtesy of an Adam Duvall lead-off solo home run and a Ronald Acuña RBI-single. In the fifth, Freddie Freeman led things off with a double and came around to score on an RBI-single from Adam Duvall to make it a 14-1 Braves advantage.

The Phillies got some runs in the sixth. They got the first pair thanks to a two-run home run from J.T. Realmuto following a walk to Rhys Hoskins earlier in the inning.

The long ball was Realmuto’s 13th of the season. Maikel Franco followed with a single and Sean Rodriguez launched a two-run homer of his own to cut the lead back to single digits, 14-5.

The Braves would get one of those runs back in the form of another RBI double from Josh Donaldson to score Freddie Freeman in the seventh. In the bottom half of the inning, Scott Kingery hit a lead-off double and scored on a single from Andrew Knapp to make it 15-6. Knapp would tally another RBI in the eighth, a single to score Sean Rodriguez to shave the lead to eight.

That’s where it would end, though, with the Braves winning by eight.

Shibe Vintage Sports Starting Pitching Performance

Zach Eflin had a night to forget against the Braves. It was the fifth straight start the Phillies lost behind Eflin and the ninth defeat in his last 11 starts. Eflin lasted just 2.2 innings, gave up 10 runs (6 earned) while walking four and striking out one. The 25-year-old right-hander has given up 6+ runs in four of his last six starts.

Max Fried held the Phillies bats at bay for the majority of his start. He allowed just one run through the first five innings, but started having some issues in the sixth. By that point, though, the Braves had the game in hand. Fried finished the night with 5.1 innings of work, allowing six runs (four earned) while walking three and striking out six. He’s given up nine earned runs in his last 10.1 innings against the Phillies this season.

Phillies Nuggets Player(s) of the Game: The Braves offense

Tough to select just one player when the entire Atlanta offense scored 15 runs. Ronald Acuña Jr. had a two-run home run and finished with three RBIs, Ozzie Albeis hit a grand slam to make it an 11-1 game in the third, Josh Donaldson had three hits, including two RBI doubles, Adam Duvall hit a solo home run, scored two runs and had two RBIs and Ender Inciarte hit a two-run home run, scored two runs and drove in three. Starter Max Fried also went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.

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