GAME RECAP: Braves Sweep Phillies 2-1
A.J. Pierzynski's
walk-off single enabled the Braves to overcome a ninth-inning letdown and
complete a three-game series sweep of the Phillies with a 2-1 win on Sunday
afternoon at Turner Field. Andrelton Simmons sparked the ninth inning rally when
his one-out chopper drew a throwing error from third baseman Cody Asche. Simmons stole third base and scored when
Pierzynski lofted his game-winning single off Luis Garcia to shallow center field. "To win a
game like that is good," said Pierzynski, who
entered in the ninth after Christian Bethancourt
was injured. "Winning another game [one-run game], especially after the
way Julio [Teheran] pitched. To give it up the way we did and then win it the
next [half] inning the way we did is fun." Braves starting pitcher Julio Teheran proved perfect through the first six
innings and entered the ninth inning in search of his first shutout of the
season. But after allowing consecutive one-out singles, he was replaced by Peter Moylan who surrendered a two-out, game-tying
single to Andres Blanco. Freddie Freeman's first-inning RBI single off Aaron Nola started the scoring for the Braves, who
have now won three straight games for the first time since Aug. 6-8. "We've
been concerned about our starting pitching the whole season. Now we get three
outstanding performances and we can't score a run," said Phillies interim
manager Pete Mackanin, who got quality starts from Nola, Jerad Eickhoff and Adam Morgan in this series and lost all three games
by a 2-1 score. "It's unfortunate, but we had a chance to win all three of
these games."
OTHER
NOTES FROM THE DAY:
- The Phillies, who scored just a
single run in losing each of the first two games of this series, struggled
against Teheran all afternoon. In the eighth, they finally got something
going. After a leadoff walk to Blanco and a bloop single off the bat of Darin Ruf, Philly's Cameron Rupp came
up against Teheran. The big catcher tried to lay down a bunt to advance
the runners and popped it to Teheran, who turned and easily doubled Blanco
off second. In 95 career games, Rup has never had a sacrifice hit. Asche
singled after the double play, but pinch-hitter Darnell Sweeney
struck out to end the threat.
- Philadelphia's Nola had a bit of a
rough start, allowing a first-inning run, but even that was barely his
fault. Michael Bourn led
things off for Atlanta with a slow roller that got past hard-charging
Galvis, playing just his second game at second this season. The ball
dribbled into right in what originally was scored an error, but later
changed to a double. Freeman drove him in with a soft liner to left, but
Nola settled down from there. After the first, he allowed just two hits
and three walks. Mackanin said after the game that he expects Nola to make
his next start, but the team still has to make a final decision.
- "You choose the way you're going
to lose the game. I'm gonna lose it on a fly ball, I'm not going to lose
it on a base hit up the middle." -- Mackanin, on his decision to
play five infielders, and just two outfielders, against Pierzynski in the
bottom of the ninth.
- Freddy
Galvis has struggled in his career against Koehler, going only 1-for-11
(.091) with three strikeouts.
- Dee
Gordon has led off 39 games this year with a base hit, including four of
the last five. Charlie Blackmon has 40 leadoff hits this year, the most in
baseball.
NEXT
GAME:
After a mutual off-day
on Monday, Miami and Philadelphia play in the penultimate head-to-head series
of the 2015 season. The Phillies have won eight of the first 13 meetings this
year. The three-game series is the start of a six-game homestand for the
Marlins before they hit the road for the final six games of the season. Adeiny
Hechavarria (hamstring) and Martin Prado (wrist) are expected to return during
the series. The Phillies have yet to announce a starter. The Marlins,
meanwhile, will go with Tom Koehler (10-13, 3.90 ERA). Koehler is 0-1 in two
career starts against the Phillies with five earned runs allowed in 11 innings.
PHILS PHACTS:
Herrera Pulled – Mackanin pulled
Herrera from the game after the center fielder flied out weakly to left to end
the Phillies' half of the fourth inning. "He threw his bat after he flew
out, and he didn't run hard. So I took him out of the game," Mackanin
said. Herrera, hitting .293 with a team-high 135 hits, was hitting .342 over
his last 66 games before Sunday. But his manager said the rookie has been in a
little funk lately, so when he failed to hustle, Mackanin took action. "Boys
play Little League, men play Major League Baseball. We will not pout, we will
not feel sorry for ourselves," Mackanin said. "He had to learn a
lesson. To me, he's been pouting for a few days, and I just want to make sure
he gets the message. We're just not going to stand for it."
Shutting Down – With 12 games left in their season, the Phillies have decided to shut
down starter Adam Morgan for the
rest of 2015 in what both the pitcher and the team described as a mutual
decision. Morgan, who missed all of the 2014 season after shoulder surgery,
last pitched on Friday in a 2-1 loss to the Braves. The left-hander went six
innings in that game, giving up just two runs on six hits without walking a
batter. He breezed through the six innings in 70 pitches, but took the loss. The
25-year-old Atlanta-area native ends the season 5-7 with a 4.48 ERA, with 84
1/3 innings pitched over 15 starts. After his good outing Friday, interim
manager Pete Mackanin and other team officials approached the pitcher to ask
about his health and the likelihood of taking another start or two. "He
wasn't sure whether he should continue or not," Mackanin said.
"Basically, the indecision on his part led us to make that decision."
Morgan says he feels good, and he wondered about bowing out early. "I
don't want to come across as someone who just shuts it down," he said. The
deciding factor was trying to get a good head start on 2016. "The innings
that I hope to pitch next year aren't going to be affected by two more
starts," Morgan said in the clubhouse Sunday after the Phillies dropped
their third straight 2-1
game to the Braves, "whether I make them
or not." Now, the offseason begins for Morgan, who is expected to compete
for a top spot in Philadelphia's rotation next season. He'll begin to consult
with physicians, trainers and others soon to get a plan. "I'm excited for
all the right reasons. I'm ready to finish this season, get there, start
lifting, start woking out, throwing, just to build that arm strength, 'cause I
know it's in there," Morgan said. "It's been feeling good. There are
no restrictions this offseason. It's getting after it this whole
offseason."
Trying Everything! – Pete Mackanin is trying. Hit-and-runs, bunts from guys who
don't normally bunt, five infielders, guys in different spots in the field,
lineups that have been juggled and re-juggled. Still, the Phillies have
struggled. It's enough to get a guy a little down. "You can say that
everyone's getting tired, but that doesn't cut it here," Mackanin, the
Phillies' interim manager, said on Sunday after his team lost its sixth
straight game, this one a third straight 2-1
loss to the Braves. "You've got to learn
to play when you're tired." Sunday, the Phillies enjoyed their third
straight quality start, this one seven solid innings from Aaron Nola, but still couldn't manage to push across
a run when it counted. In fact, Atlanta's Julio Teheran had a perfect game going until Philly's
Freddy Galvis -- who was hitting leadoff for just the
fourth time this year and playing second base for just the second time this
season -- smacked a single to open the seventh. After Teheran walked first
baseman Darin Ruf -- subbing
for the injured Ryan Howard -- the
Phillies seemed to have something going. But it didn't work out. Mackanin
called on big catcher Cameron Rupp to bunt,
in a by-the-books attempt to move over the runners. Rupp, in an attempt to bunt
[he's never had a sacrifice bunt in the Majors], popped up to Teheran and into
a double play. "He's a .230 hitter," Mackanin said. "If you're a
.230 hitter, I want to move the runners. If he's a .330 hitter, I'm letting him
swing. "That's part of the game. They practice it every day, and they're
supposed to be able to do it." Rupp stood up after the game and took the
heat. "When I was in college [at Texas], we were required to be able to
get a bunt down. It's something I'm able to do. I just didn't get it
done," he said. "I want to do whatever I can to get the job done. And
that's the play there. I need to get it done." Mackanin tried a squeeze
play in the seventh inning Friday that didn't work out, when Atlanta reliever Andrew McKirahan scooped Odubel Herrera's bunt
with his glove and tossed to the plate to get Chase d'Arnaud. The manager tried a handful of
hit-and-runs over the weekend, including one Saturday that helped the Phillies
to their only run (which scored on a double-play ground ball). "I'm trying
to manufacture something," Mackanin said. "It's just one of those
things. It snowballs. You never get a break." In the bottom of the ninth
Sunday, after the Phillies finally pushed across a run in the top of the inning
to tie the score at 1-1, Mackanin even used right fielder Jeff Francoeur as a fifth infielder with one out and
runners on the corners. A.J. Pierzynski poked a
soft single to center to win it. "You choose the way you're going to lose
the game," Mackanin said. "I'm gonna lose it on a fly ball, I'm not
going to lose it on a base hit up the middle."
THE BEGINNING:
The
Phillies have returned to their lackluster ways and regained their grip on last
place in the NL East with a record of 56-94. Given the departures, aging stars,
injuries, and bipolar performances this season, this could still end up
being the worst team in franchise history… at least that is something to hope
for this year! All time, the Phillies are 54-49-0 on this day.
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