Gregorius powers Phillies to narrow win over Braves

ATLANTA (AP) — Didi Gregorius hit a three-run homer in Philadelphia's four-run fourth inning and had the go-ahead sacrifice fly in the ninth to help the Phillies snap the Atlanta Braves’ four-game winning streak with a 7-6 victory Sunday night.

Alec Bohm doubled off Braves closer Will Smith to begin the ninth, advanced to third on a bunt and scored to make it 7-6 on Gregorius’ fly to shallow left. Marcell Ozuna’s throw bounced twice before Bohm was initially called safe — even though it appeared he didn’t get his foot on the plate against catcher Travis d’Arnaud’s tag attempt.

The play was reviewed and upheld, prompting fans at Truist Park to throw debris into the outfield and causing the grounds crew to come out to pick up the trash.

Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins homered for the Phillies, who had lost three of four. Héctor Neris faced the minimum in the ninth to earn his second save and has a 1.86 ERA with five consecutive saves converted and 25 strikeouts, a span of 19 1/3 innings, since last Aug. 28.

Jose Alvarado (2-0) pitched the eighth to earn the win. Smith (0-2) took the loss.

Ronald Acuña Jr., Freddie Freeman and Ozzie Albies homered to power the Braves. Acuña, on a hot streak over his last six games, went 9 for 13 in the three-game series and homered twice.

Homering for the second straight night, Harper took reliever Nate Jones deep with an opposite-field solo shot to left to make it 6-5. Acuña’s fourth homer, coming in the bottom half of the inning to make it 6-all, sailed 428 feet into center field off reliever Sam Coonrod.

Freeman’s fourth homer, coming off starter Matt Moore’s changeup, cleared the fence in center to force a 5-all tie in the fifth.

The Braves went up 3-0 in the first. Acuña reached on an infield single, and...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Gregorius-powers-Phillies-to-narrow-win-over-16093462.php