Sean Murphy hit a three-run home run in his first game of the season, helping the Atlanta Braves post a 7-5 victory over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday.
In the opener of a three-game series, many anticipated a pitchers’ duel between last year’s top two finishers in the 2024 National League Cy Young Award race. However, Atlanta’s Chris Sale gave up five runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings while Zack Wheeler was charged with five runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 frames.
Ultimately the difference was the Braves’ bullpen, which quieted the Phillies’ bats with 4 1/3 scoreless innings. Daysbel Hernandez (1-0) recorded four outs to earn the win before Raisel Iglesias worked around a two-out walk to pick up the save.
Atlanta improved to 2-8 on the young season despite big nights from Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber (3-for-3, three RBIs) and Nick Castellanos (3-for-4, two RBIs). The Phillies had won seven of their first nine games.
The visitors opened the scoring on Castellanos’ two-out RBI single in the first inning, but the Braves answered in the third when Murphy belted a three-run homer.
The key leading up to Murphy’s blast was a double by Riley that fell right at the feet of center fielder Johan Rojas, who was expecting left fielder Edmundo Sosa to make the catch. Jarred Kelenic walked two batters later before Murphy launched his first of the year following a lengthy absence with a cracked rib.
Philadelphia responded promptly, though, as Kyle Schwarber tied it with a two-run triple in the fourth and then came around to score the go-ahead run on Castellanos’ double.
Schwarber was back at it in the fifth, demolishing a solo homer — 116.7 mph off the bat — to make it 5-3.
The Braves tied the game with two runs in the sixth – including Murphy’s RBI single – before Orion Kerkering (1-1) ran into immediate trouble in the seventh. He walked Pablo Ozuna and then uncorked a wild pitch before Riley’s double into the right-center-field gap gave Atlanta the lead.
The hosts added an insurance run in the eighth as Orlando Arcia doubled, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a wild pitch.
–Field Level Media
