*Photo from ESPN*
Philadelphia leads series 2-1
This team right here? We're talking about the Fightin's. Bryce Harper homered, Rhys Hoskins added a homer, and the Philadelphia Phillies routed the Atlanta Braves with a 9-1 victory on Friday afternoon in Philadelphia.
The Phillies took the series home with a 1-1 tie, and were greeted by a raucous crowd, eager for the first playoff game in Philadelphia in 11 years. They made their presence known throughout the game, with Hoskins and Harper combining for 6 of the 9 runs scored by the Phillies.
Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos said of the atmosphere that "This place was alive, and that gives us all the advantage in the world. Baseball is such a game of failure in every aspect of it, so when you have that support and that momentum behind you, and you hear the energy of the crowd, it uplifts you. It definitely can bring your game to a new level."
It was Bryson Stott who got the Phillies on the board, hitting an RBI double in the 3rd inning, scoring Brandon Marsh to make the Phillies lead 1-0. Later on in the inning, Hoskins mashed a 3 run home run to left field, and Harper did the same, adding a two run shot to right, making the Phillies lead a 6-0 margin.
Michael Harris II got the Braves on the board in the 6th inning, scoring Dansby Swanson to make it a 6-1 game with an RBI single. In the 7th, Matt Vierling scored on a double from Harper, making the score 7-1. Harper and JT Realmuto then came around to score on a single from Castellanos, and the score became 9-1.
The 3rd inning homer from Hoskins was what energized the Phillies, and the crowd. As soon as he made contact, Hoskins knew it was a home run. He raised his hands, bat in one hand, and after staring at the Phillies dugout, spiked the bat into the ground emphatically and began his home run trot.
Hoskins said of his bat spike that "We all know he throws hard. You have to be on the fastball there. I was lucky enough to get one in the middle of the plate and down. He’s tough to hit, tough to square up. That’s why he’s pitching in this game. I don’t know after that. I don’t know if my feet touched the ground."
Aaron Nola drew the start for the Phillies, allowing one run on 5 hits while striking out 6 hitters in 6 innings pitched. 3 relievers held the Braves scoreless, with Jose Alvarado, Brad Hand, and Connor Brogdon getting the job done.
For the Braves, rookie Spencer Strider got the start, getting charged with 5 runs in just 2 1/3 innings pitched. Dylan Lee finished the 3rd inning before Jake Odorizzi handled 3 innings of long relief. Jesse Chavez worked the final two innings.
Braves 3rd baseman Austin Riley said of the loss that "Yeah, we're facing elimination, but see what we're made of. We’ll see how we respond. I wouldn't want to have our backs up against the wall with anybody other than this team right here. We'll see how it goes."
The series continues with game 4 on Saturday afternoon. The Braves look to tie the series and force a game 5 with Charlie Morton taking the mound, while Noah Syndergaard gets the start for the Phillies.
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