Marcell Ozuna hit a home run and Reynaldo López pitched five strong innings in his return from the injured list, helping the Atlanta Braves win 3-1 against the Philadelphia Phillies, who are leading the NL East, on Tuesday night.
In the first game of an important three-game series, the six-time defending division champions cut the Phillies’ lead to six games.
The two teams will face each other six more times in the next 12 games, giving the Braves, who are currently short-handed, a chance to close the gap further. Ozuna said, “For sure, this is a playoff game for us.”
Ozuna and López were key for Atlanta, especially after the team learned the day before that slugging third baseman Austin Riley will be out for the rest of the regular season with a broken hand.
This injury is just the latest in a series of setbacks that have put the Braves’ division-winning streak at risk and left them holding onto the NL’s final wild-card spot.
Manager Brian Snitker commented, “We kind of started the game, if you get right down to it, on a little bit of a downer with Austin’s situation and seeing him in the cast. But these guys, whether it’s good, bad or ugly, nothing phases them.”
Ozuna broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth inning with his 37th home run of the season, a 432-foot shot over the center-field wall against Zack Wheeler (12-6), who missed the chance to get his 100th career win against his hometown team.
After hitting a 95 mph fastball, Ozuna admired his long hit as it sailed into the bushes beyond the wall before dropping his bat and standing at home plate.
Ozuna entered the game leading the NL in batting average and RBIs, and second in home runs, behind only Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers who has 39.
However, Ozuna said he’s not focusing on becoming the first NL player to win the Triple Crown since Joe Medwick in 1937.
“I don’t worry about it because, on the other side, everybody knows there is a robot,” Ozuna said with a smile. “Ohtani is a robot.”
López made his first start since July 28, when the All-Star pitcher lasted just three innings against the New York Mets before leaving with tightness in his right forearm.
After a stint on the injured list, López continued his strong season by striking out 10 batters, marking his first game with double-digit strikeouts since 2019 when he played for the Chicago White Sox.
“I didn’t expect things to go as well as they did,” López said through an interpreter. “The most important thing is that the team won and at the end of the day, I feel good.”
Grant Holmes (2-0) got the win with two perfect innings after taking over for López. Raisel Iglesias closed the game in the ninth inning, earning his 27th save in 29 chances.
Michael Harris II put the Braves in front in the third inning with a run-scoring single after former Phillies infielder Whit Merrifield led off with a triple.
The Phillies tied the game in the fourth inning by getting three hits off López, including an RBI single from J.T. Realmuto.
The Atlanta lineup featured three players who were released by other teams this season, including new third baseman Gio Urshela. He drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning to extend the Braves’ lead, just two days after being released by the Detroit Tigers.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson said his team needs to keep the pressure on the Braves, even while maintaining a fairly comfortable lead in the division race.
“It’s nice but it’s not over,” he said. “We got a long way to go and we got to keep putting our foot on the pedal.”
Center field at Truist Park had unsightly square patches, left over from where the stage was set up for a concert last weekend by country star Luke Bryan.
