Phillies use long ball, strong bullpen outing to beat Braves

ATLANTA (AP) — Rhys Hoskins, Didi Gregorius and Alec Bohm homered, Philadelphia's bullpen turned in a rare sparkling performance and the Phillies snapped a five-game skid with a 5-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday night.

It wasn't easy for the Phillies, who watched closer Brandon Workman survive the ninth when Dansby Swanson, the potential tying run, was tagged out at the plate by catcher Andrew Knapp to end the game. The Braves challenged the call, but it was upheld.

Heath Hembree, making in Phillies' debut, retired his two batters in the sixth to strand a pair of runners in scoring position, helping a bullpen that began the night with an 8.29 ERA that was by far the worst in the majors.

Tommy Hunter and Workman pitched the last two innings.

Philadelphia took a 5-3 lead in the fourth on Andrew McCutchen’s RBI single, but left the bases loaded when Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto popped up. They did the same in the fifth when McCutchen flew out.

The lead was enough for the Phillies to win in Atlanta for just the seventh time in 22 games, a span of three seasons. Philadelphia improved to 2-6 on the road this year.

Bohm hit his first career homer, a 446-foot shot that carried into the fountain in center field, to make it 1-0 in the second. McCutchen singled, Hoskins went deep to left field and Gregorius connected to right in the third.

Atlanta cut the lead to 4-3 in the third on Freddie Freeman’s RBI double and Marcell Ozuna’s RBI single.

Josh Tomlin gave up six hits and four runs in three innings. Touki Toussaint, Atlanta’s next pitcher, allowed one run and two hits in 1 1/3 innings.

The Braves had won two straight and five of six and were 10-3 at Truist Park this season, the best record in the NL.

Zach Eflin (1-1) allowed three runs and six hits in...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Phillies-use-long-ball-strong-bullpen-outing-to-15509333.php