Sean Murphy and crew deliver as Braves beat Phillies

Chris Sale struggled to put it lightly, but the Braves offense finally looked like a well oiled machine with a multitude of clutch hits to squeak out a win.

In a matchup between the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies that looked like it may be a pitching dual with reigning Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale facing off against Cy Young Award runner-up Zack Wheeler, the game did not turn out as some may have thought it would.

Chris Sale struggled from the start of the game with allowing multiple hits. He looked like he was going to dominate with strikeouts to Trea Turner and Bryce Harper, but then Alec Bohm (who has a .900 OPS against Sale) singled to start the hit barrage. Kyle Schwarber followed up with a single of his own, and then Nick Castellanos hit a single to make the score 0-1. Finally Sale struck out J.T. Realmuto to end the top of the first.

The Braves were not able to strike back in the first as Zack Wheeler was able to sit them down in order via two groundouts and a fly out. Fortunately, Sale was able to answer with a three-up-three-down inning of his own in the second.

The Braves were able to come through in the third. After Matt Olson grounded out, Riley doubled. De La Cruz struck out but then Kelenic was able to draw a walk. Sean Murphy made his 2025 debut in style with a three-run blast that was an absolute no-doubter over the left field wall to give the Braves a 3-1 lead.

Unfortunately it did not take the Phillies long to answer back. In the third they came in swinging again. Turner and Harper had back-to-back singles to lead off the inning. Bohm struck out, but after a double steal Kyle Schwarber hit a two-run triple to tie up the game. Castellanos then hit a double to give the Phillies a one run lead. After a mound visit, Sale settled down and sat down the next to hitters to end the hemorrhaging of runs.

The Braves could not answer back in their half of the third, although Ozzie Albies did give them a fighting chance with a double. Sale finally had a Sale like inning and sat down all three hitters with relative ease in the fourth. The Braves were silent again in the fourth outside of a Kelenic walk.

Sale looked to be in the zone again in the fifth when he got Harper to line out and struck out his nemesis Alec Bohm. Unfortunately, the success was short lived as Schwarber hit a HR to put the Braves in a 3-5 hole, followed by a Castellanos double. Sale was then pulled from the game with a final pitching line of 4.2 innings, nine hits, five earned runs, zero walks, and five strikeouts. Enyel De Los Santos came in the game and walked Realmuto, but then struck out Sosa to finally end the nightmare half inning.

It looked like the Braves may be able to gain some runs back in the fifth. Harris and Ozuna both had singles, but the Braves could not capitalize. De Los Santos stayed in the game and looked great in the sixth. He produced a groundout, strike out, and a pop up.

In the bottom of the sixth the Braves made it interesting again. Riley struck out, but De La Cruz and Kelenic had back-to-back singles and then Murphy came through again and brought in a run with a single making the score 4-5. Orlando Arcia then walked to load the bases which ended Wheeler’s night. Michael Harris was able to tie the game up 5-5 with a sacrifice fly before the inning was over.

Dylan Lee then came in the game to pitch the seventh. He was able to produce groundouts to Harper and Bohm, but then walked Scwarber. This prompted Snitker to replace Lee with Daysbel ​​Hernández. Castellanos, who was three for three up to this point came to the plate. ​​Hernández was able to get him to line out to end the top of the inning.

Marcell Ozuna walked to lead off the inning and was able to move to second on a wild pitch. Olson struck out, but then Riley finally broke through with a runner in scoring position. He hit a double to the right center gap to score Ozuna for the 6-5 lead.

Kelenic then walked for the third time this game, bringing up the hero up to this point, Sean Murphy. Unfortunately, Murphy grounded out and the inning ended.

Hernández stayed in the game to pitch the eighth and was able to get Realmuto to groundout and then strikeout Brandon Marsh who pinch hit for Sosa. He then struck out Bryson Stott as well to end the eighth.

Orlando Arcia got the ball rolling in the eighth for the Braves with a leadoff double. The Braves then did something that has become almost extinct in todays game, Harris hit a sacrifice bunt to move Arcia to third. Another rarity then happened. Albies walked. Arcia then scored on a wild pitch to make the score 7-5. Albies did get out on a fielders choice when Ozuna came to the plate, so the chances of a sac fly from Olson was dashed. Olson did single though to put runners on first and second with two outs for one of the heroes of the game, Austin Riley. Riley just missed a three-run HR with a fly ball that flew three-hundred-sixty-nine feet.

Railes Iglesias came in to attempt to close out the game. He got Max Kepler to line out to right field to start the inning. Turner then flew out to CF. Nothing has come easy for the Braves this year so of course Bryce Harper drew a walk and stole second, but Iggy was able to get Bohm to pop up to end the game. Braves win 7-5.

Every Braves starter had a hit, Jarred Kelenic drew three walks, Sean Murphy had four RBI in his return and Austin Riley came in clutch.

The Braves play the Phillies tomorrow at 7:15 EDT.