ATLANTA – Didi Gregorius hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning of Philadelphia with four runs and had the go-ahead sac-fly in the ninth to help the Phillies reach the Atlanta Braves’ four-game winning streak with a 7-6 victory on Sunday evenings.
Alec Bohm doubled off Braves closer Will Smith to start the ninth, moved to third base on a bunt and scored to make it 7-6 on Gregorius’ hit to the shallow left. Marcell Ozuna’s throw bounced twice before Bohm was initially called safe – even though it appeared that he didn’t get his foot on the plate against catcher Travis d’Arnaud’s tag attempt.
The play was revised and maintained, prompting Truist Park fans to throw debris into the outfield and cause grounds staff to come out to pick up the trash.
“I was called safe,” said Bohm when asked if he thought he was gone. “That’s all that matters.”
Bohm was not surprised that Dusty Wathan, third base coach, sent him.
Throughout the at bat, he said, “ We’re tagging a fly ball. I’ll be in your ear and let you know, ” said Bohm. The ball went up. I got to the bag and he said, “Yes, yes, yes!” As soon as (Ozuna) caught it, I left. “
D’Arnaud was disappointed with the video review’s decision.
“A nice two-hop, hit me right in the chest,” said D’Arnaud. “I leaned over, applied the tag, blocked the plate after catching the ball. At first I didn’t know if he was safe or out just because I had to swerve to the right to make sure I blocked the record, but after watching the replay it didn’t look like his foot hit the pocket, from any angle. we saw.
“Afterwards I saw it from even more angles and it didn’t look like his foot was touching the plate.”
Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins homered for the Phillies, who lost three of the four. Héctor Neris faced the minimum in the ninth to earn his second save and has an 1.86 ERA with five consecutive converted saves and 25 strikeouts, a period of 19 1/3 innings, since August 28 last year.
Jose Alvarado (2-0) pitched the eighth to take the win. Smith (0-2) took the loss.
Ronald Acuña Jr., Freddie Freeman and Ozzie Albies homered to power the Braves. Acuña, on a hot streak in his last six games, hit 9 for 13 in the three-game series and homered twice.
Homing for the second night in a row, Harper reliever Nate Jones took deep with a solo shot from the opposite field to the left to make it 6-5. Acuña’s fourth homer, who came in the bottom of the inning to make it 6, sailed 130 meters into midfield off reliever Sam Coonrod.
Freeman’s fourth homer, coming from the change of starter Matt Moore, cleared the fence in the middle to force a 5-all tie in the fifth.
“It was a great game,” said Bohm. ‘Every time they scored, we answered. Every time we scored, they answered. That is a good win. “
The Braves went up 3-0 in the first. Acuña reached on an infield-single and Albies hit his first homer before d’Arnaud doubled and scored on the single by Dansby Swanson.
Philadelphia made it 3-1 in the second when JT Realmuto doubled and scored on Jean Segura’s sacrifice fly.
In the fourth, Hoskins’ second homer went to the left to narrow the lead to 3-2, before Gregorius smashed starter Drew Smyly’s curveball into the rightfield seats for a three-run homer that gave the Phillies a 5-3 lead.
Gregorius attributed Bohm and Jean Segura to reaching base for his three-run shot.
“I played out well for the team on the three-run homer, but that inning didn’t happen without Seggie doing his job, and I tried to hit the ball deep enough for Bohm to score,” said Gregorius. “That’s the best part of the game there.”
The Braves answered with a run to make it 5-4 in the bottom of the fourth when Cristian Pache doubled, moved on a bunt and scored on Acuña’s sacrifice fly.
Phillies-starter Matt Moore gave up five runs and nine hits and struckout three in five innings. Smyly gave up five runs and five hits and struckout three in five innings.