Nick Castellanos drove in three runs, including the game-winner with two outs in the 11th inning, to give the host Philadelphia Phillies a 3-2 win over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday and extend their lead in the National League East to seven games.
With runners on the corners, Atlanta called on righty reliever Grant Holmes to face the right-handed Castellanos, who singled to center field to score automatic runner Kody Clemens with the winning run.
Philadelphia (81-56) won three of four in the final regular-season meeting between the teams. Atlanta’s lead over the New York Mets for the final NL wild-card spot shrunk to one game.
Carlos Estevez (3-4) retired the Braves in order in the 10th and 11th innings, striking out two. Aaron Bummer (4-3) suffered the loss after giving up one unearned run in the 11th.
Philadelphia starter Aaron Nola pitched six innings and allowed two runs on four hits with one walk and nine strikeouts.
Atlanta starter Spencer Schwellenbach pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed two runs on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
The Braves (74-63) got on the board in the third inning when Michael Harris II hit a two-out solo homer to center field, his ninth of the season.
Atlanta added a run in the fourth. Matt Olson walked, took third on Travis d’Arnaud’s single and scored on Whit Merrifield’s groundout. The Phillies thought they had turned an inning-ending double play, but the Braves challenged the call and a video review overturned the call, allowing Olson to score.
The Phillies tied the score in the sixth with a two-out rally. Trea Turner singled and took third on Bryce Harper’s double. Both scored on a two-run double by Castellanos that knocked Schwellenbach out of the game.
Both teams threatened in the ninth but failed to score.
The Braves loaded the bases against reliever Matt Strahm with one out in the ninth but came up empty. He came back to retire Orlando Arcia on a popup and got Luke Williams to fly out to end the threat.
Philadelphia’s Bryson Stott reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second base in the bottom half of the inning but remained there when reliever Raisel Iglesias fanned J.T. Realmuto.
–Field Level Media
