Braves at Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies had won 15 of their past 25 games entering a big weekend set at home against the National League East-leading Atlanta Braves, but come into Saturday after a sloppy performance sent them to a 9-2 defeat in the series opener. The Phillies committed two errors, saw starter Jake Arrieta give up five runs, and reliever Cole Irvin walk in two runs to lose for just the second time in seven games and drop 6 1/2 games behind Atlanta in the standings.
Shortstop Jean Segura finished 3-for-5 - giving him a team-high nine three-hit games this season - but the Phillies went 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base to fall to 2-5 against the Braves since sweeping Atlanta in the opening series of the season. The Braves averaged 3.4 runs and 8.5 hits while losing six of eight coming into Friday, but posted back-to-back four-run innings to finish with their highest-scoring game since plating 12 against the Phillies on July 4. Outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. extended the majors' longest current on-base streak to 30 games with two hits, driving home three runs and stealing his 10th base in the past 11 games. Catcher Brian McCann homered en route to a 2-for-4 performance, raising his average to .387 in his past eight games as Atlanta extended its lead in the East over second-place Washington to 5 1/2 games.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FS South (Atlanta), NBC 10 (Philadelphia)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves LH Max Fried (10-4, 4.08 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Zach Eflin (7-10, 4.25)
Fried returns from a blister on his hand that ended his last start at Milwaukee on July 15 after five innings of three-hit, scoreless pitching and landed him on the injured list. The 25-year-old has struggled at times in his first full season in the major league rotation, pitching to a 6.17 ERA with a .339 opponents batting average during his previous eight starts before the Milwaukee outing, but gave up three earned runs or fewer four times in that span. Fried surrendered five runs on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings against the Phillies on June 14, and made two scoreless relief appearances against them in late March.
Eflin began the month with a difficult outing against the Braves on July 4, surrendering seven runs (six earned) on seven hits over three innings of a 12-6 loss, and he followed that by allowing seven runs on nine hits across six innings on July 15 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 25-year-old rebounded somewhat in his last outing July 20 at Pittsburgh, giving up three runs on five hits with no walks and three strikeouts over four innings. Eflin, who has allowed six earned runs or more in three of his past five outings, is 5-3 with a 3.88 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in eight home starts this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Braves RF Nick Markakis, who has appeared in 270 consecutive games (longest active streak in the majors), left Friday’s game in the sixth inning after being hit with a pitch on the left wrist and manager Brian Snitker told reporters postgame the injury, "doesn't look good."
2. Phillies CF Scott Kingery snapped a 2-for-18 skid with two hits Friday.
3. Atlanta SS Dansby Swanson did not play Friday due to a sore heel that sidelined him Wednesday and did not heal well enough during Thursday's day off.