PHILADELPHIA — Good teams find ways to win when some things aren’t clicking, and for the Phillies, that thing, right now, is their offense. So, on Thursday night they beat the reigning World Series champions with their pitching.
Clinging onto just a one run lead — that came from a Matt Vierling sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second — the Phillies’ pitching staff allowed just six hits and two walks against the Braves, a team that ranks second in baseball in OPS, with .760. Ranger Suarez gave the Phillies one of his best starts in weeks, Zach Eflin — who has activated off the 15-day injured list just 10 days ago — showed up in a high leverage spot. And José Alvarado closed the door with a four-out save, allowing just one hit with one strikeout.
Facing the Braves at home in the midst of a postseason race, after the Phillies had been swept in Atlanta just days earlier, was always going to be a tough assignment. But the Phillies showed grit on Thursday night, and they did it at a time when they don’t have much room for error.
