The Atlanta Braves brought an end to their four-game losing streak with an impressive 9-3 win over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night. With the victory, the Braves improved to 97-54 on the season and avoided their first five-game losing streak since September 2017, while the Phillies dropped to 82-69 and fell to 4-8 against Atlanta this season.
Pitcher Spencer Strider (18-5) played a pivotal role in Atlanta’s victory, striking out 11 batters across seven innings and allowing only three runs. Bryce Harper’s 19th home run in the sixth inning accounted for all of the Phillies’ runs. Strider’s performance extended his career record against Philadelphia to 8-0 with a remarkable 1.90 ERA.
Notably, Strider’s impressive strikeout total of 270 in 176 innings surpassed Hall of Famer Phil Niekro for the second-most strikeouts in a single season by a Braves pitcher in the modern era (since 1900). Niekro had recorded 262 strikeouts in 330 1/3 innings in 1977, with John Smoltz holding the team’s single-season record of 276 strikeouts in 253 2/3 innings in 1996.
Ronald Acuna Jr. played a significant role in the Braves’ offensive display, going 3-for-5 with two home runs, marking his fourth multi-homer game of the season. Acuna’s first homer came on the first pitch of the game from Cristopher Sanchez. It was Acuna’s 33rd leadoff home run of his career and the seventh of this season. Impressively, it was also his 13th leadoff homer on the first pitch, marking the third time this year.
Acuna added another solo home run in the sixth inning, bringing his season total to 39 home runs. He is now just one home run away from becoming the fifth player in history to achieve 40 home runs and 40 steals in the same season. Furthermore, this home run marked his 100th RBI of the season. Acuna also boasts an impressive 67 stolen bases, placing him on the brink of becoming the first player to achieve 40-plus homers and 50-plus steals in a single season.
Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (2-5) pitched four innings and allowed three runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out two.
The Braves’ offense received a significant boost in the fourth inning with a two-run single from Kevin Pillar. They further extended their lead with a four-run outburst in the fifth inning, fueled by a bases-loaded walk to Matt Olson, a two-run double from Marcell Ozuna, and a sacrifice fly from Orlando Arcia. Ozuna had an impressive performance, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs.
Overall, it was a commanding performance by the Braves, who looked to regain their winning momentum as they strive to secure a strong postseason position.
