PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Backup catcher Rafael Marchan hit a two-run homer, drove in the go-ahead run when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the eighth inning and caught two runners stealing, helping the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 5-4 in in a doubleheader opener Thursday.
Phillies star Bryce Harper missed the game, two days after he was hit on the right elbow by a 95.3 mph pitch from Spencer Strider. The NL East-leading Phillies won for the 23rd time 29 games and dealt the Braves their sixth loss in seven games.
Jordan Romano walked three and allowed a single in the ninth before Eli White took a slider on the low, outside corner for a game-ending called third strike, giving the closer his eighth save in 10 chances.
Marchan put the Phillies ahead 2-0 in the third scored with a headfirst slide on Trea Turner’s fifth-inning infield single. He was nicked on a shin protector by a bounced slider from Daysbel Hernández (3-1).
Marchan threw out Fairchild for the final out of the fourth and Ozzie Albies for the first out of the ninth, both on attempts to steal second.
José Ruiz (1-0) retired Nick Allen on a groundout to strand a runner on second in the eighth.
Sean Murphy homered and had an RBI single, and Ronald Acuña Jr. had a pair of hits and an RBI for the Braves. Acuña entered in the fourth after Fairchild appeared to hurt a finger on his right hand during a slide.
Braves starter A.J. Smith-Shawver took a 96.6 mph line drive off his right ankle, a ball hit by Bryson Stott with one out in the third. Smith-Shawver threw a warmup pitch and stayed in the game, then left after wincing while allowing a flyout to Turner on the fourth pitch of the at-bat.
Key moment
Kyle Schwarber homered off Pierce Johnson for a 4-2 lead in the seventh, his 19th home run this season, one batter after the right-hander relieved lefty Aaron Bummer.
Key stat
Harper had started the Phillies first 54 games.
Up Next
Braves LHP Chris Sale (2-3, 3.36 ERA) and Phillies RHP Zack Wheeler (6-1, 2.42) in the second game, Sale won last year’s NL Cy Young Award and Wheeler finished second in voting,
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
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