Braves outlast Phillies 8-7 in 11 innings

Sep 25, 2022 - 11:35 PM

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The Atlanta Braves outlasted the Philadelphia Phillies 8-7 in 11 innings that also included a two hour rain delay.

The Braves didn’t waste anytime getting to Phillies starter Kyle Gibson. Michael Harris got things started with a one-out walk and then moved up to second with his 19th stolen base of the season. Gibson struck out Austin Riley for the second out before Travis d’Arnaud lifted a fly ball to the wall in right center. Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh pulled up on the play apparently losing the ball in the sun. The play went as a double for d’Arnaud as Harris raced home with Atlanta’s first run.

Matt Olson, who was out of the lineup for the first time this season Saturday, followed with a double to the right field that scored d’Arnaud to make it 2-0. That double was just Olson’s third in his last 84 at-bats.

The lead didn’t last long as Charlie Morton’s afternoon got off to a rough start as well. Kyle Schwarber connected on a leadoff home run that just glanced the foul pole in right to cut Atlanta’s lead to 2-1. The Braves came out and asked for a review, but replay showed that it just glanced off the pole.

Rhys Hoskins followed with a double to right center and then walked Bryce Harper on four pitches to put runners at first and second. Alec Bohm then singled to right to bring home Hoskins and tie the game. Morton finally recorded an out as Jean Segura grounded to Dansby Swanson who threw to second for the first out. Harper scored on the play to put the Phillies in front 3-2. Morton was able to escape with no further damage as he struck out Marsh looking before d’Arnaud gunned down Segura on a stolen base attempt to end the inning.

The Braves answered right back in the second. Eddie Rosario singled to lead off the inning. Dansby Swanson brought him home when he muscled a two-out single to right to tie the game.

Morton came back out in the second needing a quick inning and he got it retiring the side in order, including a pair of strikeouts. He wasn’t as fortunate in the third as Schwarber tagged him again for a solo shot that just snuck over the wall in left to put Philadelphia back in front 4-3. Morton got Hoskins and Harper to ground out before Bohm reached on an error by Vaughn Grissom. He then struck out Segura to end the inning.

That strikeout gave Morton his 200th of the season. He is the first Braves pitcher to post 200 strikeouts in back-to-back seasons since John Smoltz did it in 1996 and 1997. It is also the first time since 1886 that the Braves have had two pitchers with 200 strikeouts in the same season.

The Braves retook the lead in the fourth against Gibson. Rosario got things started again with a walk and then came around to score on a two-run shot by Swanson to straight away center to make it 5-4.

Morton allowed a leadoff single to Marsh, but nothing else in a scoreless fourth. He came back and walked Schwarber to begin the fifth. Hoskins followed with a flare that went for a double down the left field line to put runners at second and third. Harper followed with a sacrifice fly to tie the game. The Braves brought the infield in, but Bohm lifted a fly to right. Robbie Grossman’s throw sailed up the line and Hoskins scored to put the Phillies back in front 6-5.

Rain began to fall and became heavy, yet play still continued even though the game was official. After a walk to Segura and a 2-2 count on Marsh, the umpires finally called for the tarp to be put on the field.

Play resumed after a two hour and nine minute delay with Jesse Chavez taking over with a runner at first and a 2-2 count on Marsh. Marsh jumped all over Chavez’s first pitch and drove it off the wall in left, however the Braves gunned down Segura at the plate to end the inning.

Chavez pitched a scoreless sixth and then Dylan Lee struck out Schwarber, Hoskins and Harper in the seventh before the Braves tied the game against David Robertson in the eighth.

William Contreras got things started by working a two-out walk. Eddie Rosario followed with a double to left center to put runners at second and third. The Braves then sent up Ronald Acuña Jr. to pinch hit for Vaughn Grissom, but the Phillies opted to walk him to load the bases. With Robbie Grossman at the plate, Robertson then uncorked a wild pitch that scored Contreras to again tie the game.

Raisel Iglesias took over in the eighth and allowed a single to Bohm to start the inning, but then got Segura to bounce into a 5-4-3 double play. That double play would prove large as Marsh followed with another single. The Braves would get out of it though as Iglesias got Bryson Stott to ground out to Orlando Arcia for the final out.

Michael Harris worked a one out walk against Seranthony Dominguez in the ninth, but was thrown out for just the second time this season trying to steal second. Dominguez struck out Austin Riley to end the inning. Kenley Jansen entered in the ninth and retired Matt Vierling on a deep fly out and then struck out pinch-hitter J.T. Realmuto on three pitches. Jansen then walked Schwarber, but got Hoskins to fly out to right to send the game to extra innings.

Riley began the 10th at second base, but the Braves were unable to advance him as Zach Eflin retired the side in order. Jackson Stephens replaced Jansen and the Braves opted to intentionally walk Harper to start the inning. Stephens then struck out Bohm, got Segura to ground into a force out and stranded the runners as Marsh flew out to left.

The Braves retook the lead in the 11th as Acuña singled with one out to bring home pinch-runner Guillermo Heredia to make it 7-6.

After a pop out by Arcia, Swanson singled to left and Acuña moved all the way to third on the play. Michael Harris then worked a great at-bat and singled to right to score Acuña and extend the lead to 8-6.

Stephens came back out for the 11th and struck out Stott to begin the inning. Matt Vierling grounded out to first for the second out with Marsh, who began the inning at second, moving over to third. Realmuto followed with a single to center to score Marsh to cut Atlanta’s lead to 8-7. However, Stephens would slam the door striking out pinch-hitter Nick Maton to end the game.

Atlanta improves to 95-58 on the season and salvage a split in their four-game series in Philadelphia. They will continue their road trip Monday when they begin a three-game series in Washington against the Nationals.