Trea Turner’s all-around brilliance outshined a star-studded pitching matchup Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park.
Turner delivered a two-run, walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Phillies a 3-2 win over the Braves. Turner went 3 for 4 with a pair of doubles and a walk to go along with his game-winning single. He also stole two bases and made a handful of excellent defensive plays.
Turner’s heroics helped the Phillies pad their lead in the NL East to six games over the second-place Mets. New York lost to the Marlins, 11-8, on Saturday.
The Braves took the lead in the top of the 10th on a one-out single from Nacho Alvarez Jr. off Matt Strahm that scored Jake Fraley, the designated runner at second base.
But the Phillies had an answer, which has become one of the themes of this season.
Turner sent the sellout crowd at CBP home happy and gave the Phillies a chance to complete a four-game sweep on Sunday night.
Starting pitchers Chris Sale and Cristopher Sanchez were both outstanding.
Sanchez brushed aside any lingering concerns following his worst start of the season five days ago against the Mets. He reverted to his typical dominant self against the Braves, allowing just one run in seven innings. Sanchez scattered seven hits, struck out eight and did not issue a walk.
Sanchez’s command was terrific throughout the night — 71 of his 97 pitches were strikes. He recorded 10 groundball outs, including a pair of double plays, lowering his season ERA to 2.66 in 27 starts.
Sale, meanwhile, was in top form in his first outing in two and a half months. He surrendered one run on three hits across six innings, striking out nine. Sale was activated off the injured list Saturday morning. He had been sidelined since June 18 because of a fractured rib cage.
With the game tied 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Turner smacked a leadoff double to left field to give the Phillies a prime opportunity to take the lead. Kyle Schwarber moved Turner to third with a groundout to first base. But Bryce Harper then grounded sharply to Atlanta first baseman Matt Olson, who stepped on the bag and threw out Turner at home to complete an inning-ending double play.
The Phillies squandered another golden scoring opportunity in the eighth inning. After pinch hitter Bryson Stott drew a one-out walk against Braves right-handed reliever Pierce Johnson, the Phillies’ second pinch hitter of the inning, Brandon Marsh, singled to put runners on the corners with one out.
Johnson struck Turner out looking before Atlanta manager Brian Snitker summoned lefty Dylan Lee to face Schwarber. Lee got Schwarber to line out to right to end the threat.
Weston Wilson opened the scoring in the bottom of the third inning with a solo home run to left field. It was Wilson’s third homer of the season and the seventh of his career.
Read the full article here