The Atlanta Braves continue to find ways to win games. In the 200th sellout at Truist Park (announced attendance was 39,627), the Braves treated the baseball fans in the building to a complete victory. There was clutch hitting and excellent pitching.
With the score 3-2 in favor of the Phillies, Michael Harris II, who was a late scratch from the starting lineup on Friday, pinch-hit with two on and two outs in the sixth. Harris, coming off an impressive series against the Phillies on the road, hit a two-run double to give Atlanta a 4-3 lead. A wild pitch from Phillies starter Andrew Painter helped bring in another run and put Atlanta ahead 5-3.
Harris said he is seeing the ball better and just wants to “keep it going.”
On Friday, being the 200th sellout at Truist Park, Harris, a local kid, said he likes it like this.
“The fans here really love baseball, love the city, love the team, and they just want to see us win, so as long as we’re winning, they are going to try to sell those seats out.”
On Harris’ play, Braves manager Walt Weiss, a man of few words, simply said, “Big hit by Mikey.”
Grant Holmes, making his sixth start of the season, simply said of Harris II: “He’s the goat.”
The Atlanta Braves returned home to Truist Park to host the only team that they swept this season. The Philadelphia Phillies were in town following a three-game sweep that included the first career start and victory for right-handed rookie starter JR Ritchie. The Phillies came into the game nine games under .500, similar to how the Braves were playing at this point last year.
In his second at-bat of the game, which came in the third inning, Phillies shortstop Trea Turner took the first pitch from Holmes and sent a two-run home run into the right field stands. With the Phillies ahead 2-0, Ronald Acuna, Jr. picked the perfect time to hit his second home run of the season and tie the game. Phillies starter Andrew Painter was handling the Braves hitters until that moment.
Holmes got himself out of trouble when the bases were loaded in the fourth inning, following several walks; he struck out Phillies All-Star designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, who had walked an inning earlier. He didn’t do as well an inning later when he gave up a solo home run to Bryce Harper to begin the inning.
The start from Holmes was good. What made it better was that he went six innings and gave the bullpen a break. Aaron Bummer and Joel Payamps were brought on to pitch in the seventh and eighth innings. Payamps needed 21 pitches to get out of the inning with the 5-3 lead intact.
Robert Suarez came on in the ninth to pick up a save in place of Raisel Iglesias, who is out of the rotation with an injury. He walked Turner, struck out Schwarber, and ended the game with a groundout to Brandon Marsh.
After the game, Weiss said he wouldn’t be against sending Suarez into the game in the eighth inning, even without Iglesias available. “We have a really good bullpen,” he said.
