Dansby Swanson had the third four-hit game of his career, including a home run, and the Atlanta Braves outslugged the visiting Philadelphia Phillies 8-4 on Wednesday.
Swanson went 4-for-5 and extended his hitting streak to eight games. He scored two runs and drove in two. He is 9-for-13 (.692) in the first three games of the four-game series and is 14-for-32 (.438) with two homers, four runs and seven RBIs during his hitting streak.
The winning pitcher was Spencer Strider (1-1), who tossed 2 2/3 innings of scoreless, hitless relief, striking out five and walking two. Phillies starter Ranger Suarez (4-3) took the loss.
Atlanta’s William Contreras homered, and Marcell Ozuna went 1-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper was 4-for-5 with two doubles.
The Phillies opened the scoring in the second inning when Odubel Herrera hit a solo homer, his third.
The Braves answered with four runs in the bottom of the second. Contreras started the rally with a solo homer, his seventh in just 13 games this year. Ozzie Albies soon followed with a two-run single and raced home to score on Swanson’s single.
Philadelphia cut the deficit to 4-2 in the fourth on Herrera’s RBI single, then tied the game with two runs in the fifth on Nick Castellanos’ RBI grounder and Jean Segura’s RBI single.
The Braves regained the lead with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Swanson singled off Suarez before Jose Alvarado took over on the mound. Swanson scored from first on a wild pitch and a throw from catcher J.T. Realmuto that eluded second baseman Segura, shortstop Bryson Stott and center fielder Hererra. Herrera was charged with an error after he let the ball roll to the fence.
Austin Riley followed with his ninth home run, a 410-foot bomb into the left-center-field stands that extended Atlanta’s lead to 6-4.
Both starting pitchers exited after working only 4 1/3 innings. Atlanta’s Charlie Morton, who made his 300th career start, allowed four runs on nine hits and one walk with four strikeouts. Suarez was charged with five runs on six hits and four walks with four strikeouts.
The Braves played without Ronald Acuna Jr., who was a late scratch due to a sore right quad.
–Field Level Media
