Friday's Braves Report: A great comeback brings Atlanta to the brink of clinching
Braves storm back to foil Phillies, can clinch Saturday
Ronald Acuna has been golden most of the year, but he wasn’t on defense for a moment.
It didn’t matter.
Ozzie Albies started a comeback with a two-run homer and Johan Camargo ended it with a two-run, two-out single to give Atlanta a 6-5 win over Philadelphia.
The Braves could celebrate a division title Saturday with a win.
Acuna botched a fly ball in the top of the seventh, allowing two runs en route to a 4-1 deficit.
Tyler Flowers singled to open the bottom half, and Albies belted a hoemr to right, his 23rd. Lucas Duda followed Dansby Swanson’s walk with a single, and Dansby was soon thrown out at the plate, but it was a 4-3 game.
Ender Inciarte stroked an RBI double to right, and Camargo’s single to left put the Braves up.
The Phillies got a run in the ninth off of A.J. Minter after being shutout by Jonny Venters and Chad Sobotka for an inning each. Julio Teheran went 6.1 innings and gave up four runs.
Braves only deserving team in the division?
Remember that last playoff game?
Rest of season
Sunday, 1:35 p.m., vs. Philadelphia, FSSO
Tuesday, 7:10 p.m., at NY Mets, FSSE
Wednesday, 7:10 p.m., at NY Mets, FSSE
Thursday, 7:10 p.m., at NY Mets, FSSE
Friday, 7:05 p.m., at Philadelphia, FSSO
Saturday, 7:05 p.m., at Philadelphia, FSSO
Sunday, 3:05 p.m., at Philadelphia, FSSO
From beat writers Gabe Burns/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Mark Bowman/MLB.com, and David O’Brien/The Athletic on Twitter (and others when notable)
Foltynewicz and Sanchez will start Saturday and Sunday as Snit says #Braves will go with the hot hands and Newcomb frankly hasn’t pitched well. He said might get Newcomb a start next week./DOB
Stop me if you've heard the one about Teheran allowing a first-inning homer. Hernandez's solo shot was the 8th homer Julio has allowed in the first -- tied for fourth-most in MLB. He didn't allow more than five first-inning HRs in any previous season./MB
Markakis (NL-leading 43 doubles) and Freeman (40) give ATL its first 40-doubles duo since Francoeur and Chipper in 2007, and Albies (39) could join them soon to make ATL the first NL team with a 40-doubles trio since the 2006 Rockies (Helton, Holliday, Atkins)./DOB
Freeman's game-tying single was his 20th hit in his past 49 at-bats dating back to Sept. 8. He exited Sept. 7 with 20 hits in his past 89 at-bats./MB
Snitker on Newcomb: "We’re going to go with the guys that have the hotter hand. We’ll stick him in the bullpen for the rest of the homestand.... I don’t think he needed a break, he just wasn’t pitching that great... We’re just kind of going to go with the other guys."/DOB
That might have been Teheran's best start of the season. His fastball had good life (90.8 mph avg) and he complimented his slider with an effective curve. He issued the second of his two unintentional walks during a three-run seventh that was marred by Acuna's defensive miscue./MB
Camargo's two-run single off Avilan gives the Braves a 6-4 lead in the chest-pumpin' seventh/MB
Sobotka on 9th inn (3 K's) Thurs.: "That’s probably the best I’ve thrown in my entire life. I came out, attacked the zone, got ahead. My slider was probably the best it’s been, too. I’m hoping to take that into the next couple of outings and just kind of roll with it.”/DOB
The Braves extend their division lead to 7 1/2 games. Their magic number is 2, meaning they can clinch as soon as tomorrow afternoon./MB
Freeman is 20-for-49 (.408) in his past 13 games/DOB
Teheran has recorded 12 outs in 12 batters since the leadoff homer to start game. Gave up 1 walk in that span and runner was thrown out stealing./DOB
Acuña totally misplayed a fly ball into a double, came in when he didn't need to and it sailed over his glove. 2 runs score on the play. Brutal. #Phillies up 3-1 in the 7th, 1 out./DOB
Albies 2-run homer in Braves 7th cuts lead to 4-3 with none out, after Flowers singled. Albies' 23rd homer and 3rd of second half, on first pitch. Now Swanson has walked. Neshek has retired none of 3 hitters faced./DOB
Camargo singles through left side to give #Braves a 6-4 lead, 2-run hit with 2 out in the 7th, a 5-run inning/DOB
What a statement by the #Braves, fall behind 4-1 on a 3-run top of the 7th after a miscue, then answer with 5 runs in the bottom of the inning. And it's not over yet. Still another pitching change with 2 out, 2 on, ATL up 6-4./DOB
Braves win 6-5 over Phillies, reduce magic number to clinch NL East to two. Can clinch with another win Saturday over Philly. Nationals are now officially out of NL East race. Ding dong, the witch is dead.
The Braves extend their division lead to 7 1/2 games. Their magic number is 2, meaning they can clinch as soon as tomorrow afternoon./MB