PHILADELPHIA — Welcome back to Philadelphia, Spencer Strider.
For the first time since Opening Day of 2024, the Atlanta Braves’ ace took the ball against the Phillies in regular-season action. Chants of “Strider” and a round of boos erupted across Citizens Bank Park once the legendary Dan Baker announced the Atlanta starting lineup.
Strider has traditionally pitched well against the Phillies in his career. It is the postseason where the Phillies seem to have his number. However, fans were booing the Braves’ starting pitcher for an entirely other reason on Tuesday night.
At the bottom of the first inning, Strider lost control of a fastball up and in to Bryce Harper. The ball hit Harper directly on the elbow, and the entire stadium could feel his pain. He would exit the ballgame with assistance from the training staff, and the games were just getting started.
Phillies Punch Back
After losing their best player at the start of the game, the Phillies wanted to make a statement.
While the older baseball crowd might have been waiting for a beanball game to start, the Fightins let their play speak for them. In the bottom of the second inning, Alec Bohm would get the party started with a lead-off double.
Max Kepler would then drive home Bohm with an RBI double. This was the 400th extra-base hit in Kepler’s career, and he certainly made it count. This gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead early in the ballgame.
Ranger Danger
Ranger Suarez took the mound for the Phillies in his quest to become 4-0 on the season.
After missing a good portion of the year already, Suarez was looking to make up for lost time. After a rough debut to start the season, he had dialed in 3 consecutive quality starts. In the first inning, Suarez was up to his old tricks, getting Ronald Acuna Jr. and Austin Riley down looking on strikes.
The crafty left-hander was able to keep the Braves off balance early in the game. Atlanta was unable to string anything together, and Suarez was working hard to keep them out of scoring position.
In the top of the fifth, a ball would drop in no man’s land in center field. A leadoff single helped the Braves get some momentum brewing. A sacrifice bunt from the 9-hitter, Nick Allen, would move center fielder Michael Harris II into scoring position. A walk to Acuna would give the Braves 2 runners with just 1 out.
That would then bring Riley to the dish. Riley, a Phillie killer, was ready to strike. However, Suarez kept him from doing any damage. A ground ball up the middle was snagged by Bryson Stott, who was able to get an out at second. Now with runners at the corners and 2 outs, Marcell Ozuna would get an opportunity to tie the ballgame. Ozuna worked a full count but won the battle against the Phillies’ starter. This would load the bases with Matt Olson at the plate.
Olson was poised to do some damage. However, Suarez would not let it happen under his watch. The veteran left-hander would get Olson down on strikes for the second time in as many innings, ending the threat in the fifth.
Suarez would head back out for the sixth inning with 88 pitches. A quick leadoff single by Ozzie Albies would put the Phillies on their heels once again. However, gritty pitching retired the next 3 hitters to end his ballgame.
His final line: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, and 8 K.
Battle of the Bullpen
After 6 strong innings, it was time for the Phillies to turn the game over to their bullpen. Orion Kerkering would enter the 7th, trying to keep the game at 1-0.
Kerkering would allow a single to narrowly escape a diving Sosa at third base, putting another runner on for Atlanta. However, Kerkering would battle against the next two Braves hitters to retire the side. Kerkering’s workload has gone up drastically since the suspension of Jose Alvarado, and he has answered the challenge.
In the top of the eighth inning, the Phillies would look to Matt Strahm to keep the Braves off the board. Strahm last pitched on Sunday afternoon, where he blew the lead in the team’s eventual loss to the Athletics.
Getting Strahm back into action was a way for his manager to show faith. Thomson was repaid for his trust, as the left-hander would work a scoreless inning to keep the game at 1-0.
The Phillies would tack on insurance in their half of the 8th inning. After 2 quick outs, Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos would work 2-out singles to center. Back-to-back walks of Kepler and Realmuto gave the Phillies their second run of the ballgame.
Romano & the 9th
With a 2-run lead and the chance to put the Braves even further back in the division, Jordan Romano took the ball for the Phillies.
Romano, much like Strahm, was not great in his last outing. Romano had allowed 3 earned runs in the 9th inning to the A’s but luckily entered in a 4-0 ballgame. He did help the Phillies complete the win, but it was not in the fashion either Romano or his manager would have preferred.
With a chance to bounce back, Romano would sit down Harris on strikes to start the inning. Drake Baldwin, a late-game substitution, would dig in next. The veteran closer would not waver, forcing a weak groundout to first base for the second out.
With 2 outs and the game on the line, Acuna Jr. would have the honor of ending the ballgame. A flyout to center field would find the glove of Johan Rojas, putting the Phillies back in the win column.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
