ATLANTA – – As the Braves moved closer to a division title, Max Fried wanted to pick up where Charlie Morton left off the day before.
“I think it kind of eased any kind of stress or anxiety just knowing that he went out there and put it all on the line and got off to such a great start,” Fried said. “I just wanted to follow this.”
Fried pitched seven solid innings, Austin Riley produced three runs and Atlanta beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-2 on Wednesday night to move closer to a fourth straight NL East title win.
The Braves won nine of 11 and reduced their magic number to one. Philadelphia, which has lost 4 1/2 games in the standings with its third straight loss, can be eliminated from the playoffs with a loss or victory in Atlanta. The teams conclude their series on Thursday; each has three games to play after that.
Fried (14-7) improved to 7-0 with a 1.46 ERA in his last 11 starts, and the Braves are 10-1 in those games. The southpaw allowed two runs – one earned – and four goalless walks and six strikeouts.
Morton pitched seven scoreless innings to beat the Phillies on Tuesday.
“It was huge,” said Atlanta manager Brian Snitker. “Charlie last night and Max finished a full nine innings game. Honestly, he was probably exhausted after the sixth and he came out in the seventh and had a 1-2-3 set. It just shows this kid’s pitch ability and what he can do. They are both battle tested as they continue to do now. It’s pretty good to have two guys like that to lean on.
Aaron Nola (9-9) allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings. He has a 6.00 ERA in six starts this month.
Bryce Harper, one of the top contenders for his second NL MVP award, and clean-up hitter JT Realmuto are a 0-for-15 combined in the series. Harper, who ended a 23-game streak on base, is 0 for 7 with five strikeouts. He hit Fried three times.
Phillies manager Joe Girardi knows his team are on life support.
“We have to win every game, so we have to do whatever it takes, obviously, and then we need a lot of help,” said Girardi. “It’s frustrating. The game kind of slipped away from us in the seventh. Nola fought to give up only three points tonight, but again, we didn’t do much against Max Fried. this evening.”
Atlanta was leading 3-1 when Ozzie Albies scored to start the third inning and scored from the opening goal on Eddie Rosario’s two-out double.
Riley scored 5-2 in the seventh with a two-point double from Héctor Neris on the left field line. Dansby Swanson followed by a two-run single in the middle of Sam Coonrod for a 7-2 lead.
Ronald Torreyes’ RBI single in the second inning ended Fried’s 17 2/3 scoreless streak. Odúbel Herrera scored two braces for the Phillies.
GRISSANT FRIED
Fried, who won his seventh straight decision, threw three hits last Friday in San Diego and pitched seven scoreless innings to win 3-0 on September 19 in San Francisco. The southpaw had gone 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in two previous starts against the Phillies this year. Fried’s 38 wins since the start of 2019 are second in majors during that span, behind Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees (43).
MEASURE
Albies scored his 100th run of the season to become, at 5-foot-8, the second shortest player in major league history with a season of at least 30 home runs, 100 runs and 100 RBIs. Hack Wilson, at 5-6, accomplished the feat from 1927 to 1930 with the Chicago Cubs.
BELOW IN THE FARM
The Phillies have announced the hiring of Preston Mattingly, the son of Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly, as director of player development. He has spent the past five years as the Major League Scouting and Game Planning Coordinator in San Diego.
FOLLOWING
Phillies RHP Kyle Gibson (10-8, 3.60 ERA) will take on the Braves for the first time this season as he takes on RHP Ian Anderson (8-5, 3.60) in the series finale of three games. Gibson won his only previous start against Atlanta. Anderson has no decision and a 3.09 ERA in four starts against the Phillies this year.
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