Not this time: Braves 7, Phillies 2 (2024)

The Phillies once again fell behind 4-0 early in the game, but this time there was not to be a dramatic comeback. The Braves took game two of this critical four game series by a final score of 7-2. Ranger Suárez started strong but faded quickly, allowing 4 runs in 4 innings and exiting after 78 pitches. A Bryson Stott solo home run was the only run of the night from the Phillies offense against Atlanta starter Reynoldo Lopez.

High high, low low

Suárez started the game on an electric pace, striking out the first five hitters he faced, including three swinging. But it all changed once he went out for the third. Orlando Arcia belted his first of two home runs on the night to open the scoring for Atlanta. Sean Murphy then entered into a seven-pitch battle with Suárez before he too homered, going back-to-back with Arcia. Suárez then retired Gio Urshela, Whit Merrifield, and Jorge Soler in order to end the inning.

But more damage was coming. Marcell Ozuna led off the fourth with a double just out of the reach of a sliding Brandon Marsh in left field. Matt Olson then singled to put runners on the corners with no outs. Ramon Laureano grounded out for the first out, but Ozuna scored from third, pushing the score to 3-0. Michael Harris II singled before Arcia walked to load the bases with still just one out.

Murphy then hit a line drive towards the line at third, but Edmundo Sosa made a tremendous diving play to keep it from going fully down the line and get an out, albeit one run still scoring to stretch the Atlanta lead to 4-0. Urshela then grounded out to end the threat.

Suárez would not return for the fifth after throwing 78 pitches through 4 innings. He allowed 4 runs on 5 hits including two home runs with 6 strikeouts and one walk.

No rally tonight

The Phillies offense managed to get into some scoring opportunities against Lopez, but they did not produce any runs. Bryce Harper doubled with two outs in the first before Nick Castellanos walked to put two on. But Stott grounded out to the pitcher and Olson made a good catch at first on an errant throw to end the inning.

The Phillies had another runner in scoring position in the second, after Marsh singled off of a diving Ramon Laureano in right field before stealing second. But Sosa flew out to the wall for the second out and Johan Rojas popped up the first pitch he saw to strand Marsh.

The third brought yet another wasted opportunity, as Harper hit his second double of the night with two outs, but Castellanos lined out to right for the final out of the third. Philadelphia was already 0-4 with RISP on the game by the end of the inning.

Stott’s homer led off the fourth for just the second run the Phillies have scored against Lopez all season. J.T. Realmuto homered to begin the home half of the seventh off of Braves reliever Pierce Johnson, but that was all the offense the Phillies could muster on the night.

Bleed it out

Unlike last night when Cristopher Sánchez left the game, the Phillies bullpen was not able to stop the bleeding and keep the game close. Jose Ruiz pitched a scoreless fifth, but Max Lazar allowed his first runs in the Majors when he surrendered the second home run of the evening to Arcia and an RBI double from Urshela, both with two outs. Those two hits erased Stott’s home run and increased the deficit to 6-1 in the sixth inning.

Yunior Marte took over for the seventh and retired Soler on a groundout before allowing a single to Ozuna and an RBI double to Olson to push the Braves lead to 7-1. Marte then uncorked a pair of wild pitches that moved Olson to third and ultimately led him to try and score, but the second one bounced right back to Realmuto who tagged Olson out for the second out. Laureano then grounded out to Trea Turner to end the inning. Marte then threw a scoreless eighth inning before Tanner Banks pitched a clean ninth with two strikeouts.

Tomorrow’s matchup

The Phillies will once again try to earn at least a split in this four-game series when they send Zack Wheeler (12-6, 2.74) to the mound against Max Fried (8-7, 3.50) for Atlanta. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 on FOX.