Marcell Ozuna and Ozzie Albies both homered for the second straight game and the Atlanta Braves beat the visiting Philadelphia Phillies 5-1 on Saturday to even their three-game weekend series.
The Braves lead the season series 3-2 and cut Philadelphia’s lead in the National League East to nine games.
Ozuna was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, giving him a National League-leading 72. Albies was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs.
Atlanta’s offense supported the strong pitching of rookie Spencer Schwellenbach (2-4), who limited the Phillies to one run over six innings. Schwellenbach scattered seven hits and struck out six without walking a batter.
The Braves’ bullpen covered the final three innings without allowing a hit. A.J. Minter, Joe Jimenez and Raisel Iglesias each pitched a scoreless frame.
Phillies starter Ranger Suarez (10-3) suffered through his second consecutive poor start. The left-hander, who gave up six runs against the Marlins in his last outing, pitched five innings and allowed five runs on six hits – two of them home runs – with two walks and seven strikeouts.
Atlanta ambushed Philadelphia for three runs in the first inning. Jarred Kelenic led off with a ground-rule double and scored on Albies’ RBI single. With two outs, Ozuna powered a two-run homer to straightaway center field, his 23rd, the second-most in the National League.
The Phillies scored their only run in the third on Trea Turner’s RBI single that drove in Johan Rojas.
Suarez pitched out of trouble in the fourth. After walking Matt Olson and allowing a double to Ozuna, he retired the side without allowing a run.
The Braves came back to add two more runs against Suarez in the fifth. Kelenic singled and Albies hit his eighth homer, a two-run shot that carried 431 feet into the left field stands.
Philadelphia’s Nick Castellanos went 1-for-4 and extended his hitting streak to eight games.
The start of the game was delayed 31 minutes by rain.
–Field Level Media