Sean Murphy’s ground ball with the bases loaded brought home a sliding Eli White in the 11th inning, leading the Atlanta Braves to a tough 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday.
The Braves now lead the major leagues with 12 extra-inning wins. They won two out of three games against the Blue Jays and are now tied with the New York Mets for the last wild card spot in the National League playoff race.
“That was probably one of the top two or three most draining games I’ve ever been a part of,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “It’s great to see how they just hung in there and kept forcing the issue.”
Atlanta saw another strong performance from left-hander Chris Sale, who pitched six scoreless innings. White made two important hits after coming in as a defensive replacement at second base, a position he had played in only three major league games before.
The Braves’ key rally began when White led off the 11th inning with a bunt single, moving automatic runner Michael Harris II to third base.
Adam Duvall then reached base due to an error by Blue Jays third baseman Addison Barger, whose throw went off target and allowed Harris to score, tying the game.
Murphy followed with a ground ball up the middle off Zach Pop (1-4), and White was able to score, sliding in before shortstop Ernie Clement could make the play.
“Just making sure I put the ball in play, and hopefully something good happens,” Murphy said. “Hit it to a good enough spot.”
George Springer gave the Blue Jays a 3-2 lead in the 11th with a single up the middle that scored Barger, who had advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Brian Serven. Springer had three hits in the game.
Sale — a top candidate for the NL Cy Young Award — easily handled the Blue Jays lineup, using his usual mix of four-seam fastballs and a sweeping slider.
He threw a season-high 113 pitches, ending his game by retiring Leo Jiménez on a flyout to right field after an 11-pitch at-bat. The veteran struck out seven, walked one, and hit two batters.
“His whole year has been phenomenal,” Snitker said. The Braves made two comebacks to secure the important win.
Down 2-1 in the ninth, White got on base with a single up the middle. Marcell Ozuna then hit a single into the left-center gap, moving White to third base.
Matt Olson then hit a long fly ball to left field, allowing White to score easily on the sacrifice fly, tying the game. It was Chad Green’s third consecutive blown save.
Braves reliever Raisel Iglesias (5-1) got two weak ground balls with the bases loaded from Nathan Lukes and Barger to stop a threat in the 10th inning. Atlanta pulled the infield in, and Orlando Arcia managed to get the force out at home for the second out.
Iglesias pitched two innings to get the win, giving up one run in the 11th but limiting further damage.
Pinch hitter Spencer Horwitz gave the Blue Jays a 2-1 lead in the eighth with a two-run homer. The home run came on a low slider from Joe Jimenez that Horwitz hit into the right field seats.
It was Horwitz’s third home run in two games, following two home runs in the Blue Jays’ 9-5 win on Saturday.
Toronto’s Yariel Rodríguez allowed one run on two hits over five innings, walking one and striking out six.
Jarred Kelenic gave the Braves a 1-0 lead in the second inning with a two-out home run to right-center, his 15th home run of the season. Sale now has an 8-1 record in games following an Atlanta loss.
