Sean Murphy’s solo home run in the second inning ended up being the only offense the Braves could generate on Sunday afternoon, as they dropped the series to the Phillies with a 2-1 loss. While Atlanta’s pitching, led by Spencer Strider, held up well, the offense once again came up short.
Scoring started early, echoing Saturday’s action when Murphy broke things open with a grand slam. This time, he got Atlanta on the board first with a solo shot, but that would be it for the Braves’ offense. From there, both Strider and Phillies starter Ranger Suárez were locked in, trading scoreless frames until the fifth.
That’s when the Phillies strung together their only scoring inning of the game. Bryson Stott singled and Otto Kemp followed with a double down the third-base line to bring him home and tie the game. A sacrifice bunt by Brandon Marsh moved Kemp to third, and Trea Turner followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead — a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Despite allowing five hits and three walks, Strider managed to keep the damage to a minimum, giving up just two runs over seven innings. His strikeout numbers weren’t eye-popping, but he still gave Atlanta a solid outing. Unfortunately, the Braves offense couldn’t take advantage, with Suárez and the Philadelphia bullpen continuing to stifle their lineup.
Atlanta’s bullpen held its own, with Dylan Lee and Raisel Iglesias tossing scoreless innings. It was especially encouraging to see Iglesias show signs of returning to form after a shaky season so far.
The Braves had a final chance in the bottom of the ninth when Ozzie Albies reached base and advanced to third on a wild pitch, but Stuart Fairchild’s fly ball to right-center was easily handled by Brandon Marsh to end the game and the series.
In the end, Atlanta’s offense once again let them down. Aside from Murphy’s homer and Albies’ ninth-inning advance, the Braves managed just one other baserunner to reach second. Credit goes to Suárez and the Phillies’ staff for keeping Atlanta in check, but the Braves’ repeated struggles at the plate are becoming a worrying trend in 2025.
Now, the team gets a day off before starting a new series against the Angels on Tuesday at 7:15 p.m. ET. On a brighter note, Matt Olson extended his on-base streak to 30 games.
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