Comeback comes up short as Braves fall to Phillies 5-4

The Atlanta Braves rallied again in the ninth but came up just short in a 5-4 loss to the Phillies. Atlanta falls to 16-12 on the season while the Phillies improve to 10-14.

Josh Tomlin got the start and came into the game having not allowed a home run in 15 1/3 innings so far this season. That changed quickly in the second inning when rookie third baseman Alec Bohm launched a long solo shot to center to make it 1-0. Philadelphia would add to the lead in the third as Andrew McCutchen opened the inning with a leadoff single and then came around to score on a homer by Rhys Hoskins that extended the lead to 3-0. Didi Gregorius made it 4-0 two batters later with a line drive homer to right.

The Braves got on the board in the bottom half of the inning. Ender Inciarte worked a leadoff walk and then advanced to third on a double by Dansby Swanson. Freddie Freeman brought both home with an opposite field double of his own to cut the deficit to 4-2. Freeman moved up to third on a ground out by Travis d’Arnaud and then came home to score on a single past Bohm by Marcell Ozuna to make it 4-3.

Touki Toussaint replaced Tomlin in the fourth and quickly worked his way into a jam. Bohm led off with a single and moved to second after Andrew Knapp was hit by a pitch. Adam Haseley then dropped down a sacrifice attempt, but Toussaint booted it for an error to load the bases with none out. McCutchen extended the lead to 5-3 with a single. Toussaint would dig in, striking out Hoskins for the first out while getting Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto to fly out to end the inning with no further damage.

Toussaint’s struggles continued in the fifth as he walked Gregorius to begin the inning. Jean Segura lined out to right for the first out, but Toussaint then walked Bohm on four pitches. He then fell behind Knapp 2-0 and Brian Snitker popped out of the dugout, mid-plate appearance, to summon Tyler Matzek from the bullpen. Matzek got Knapp to ground into a fielder’s choice, walked pinch hitter Roman Quinn to load the bases and then got McCutchen to fly out to center to end the threat.

Atlanta threatened in the sixth but was unable to score. Duvall reached on an error with one out and then advanced to third on a double by Austin Riley. However, Johan Camargo struck out swinging and Inciarte grounded out to first on the first pitch he saw to end the frame.

Riley led off the ninth with a single but was erased on a fielder’s choice by Camargo. Adeiny Hechavarria pinch hit for Inciarte and worked a walk. Swanson then grounded to Bohm at third who stepped on the bag for the second out, but his throw wasn’t in time to get Swanson at first. Freeman followed with a double into the left center gap that scored Camargo, but the relay throw gunned down Swanson at the plate to end the game. The Braves challenged the play on the premise that Knapp blocked the plate, but after a review, the out call stood.

Tomlin was tagged for six hits including three homers and four runs in just three innings. Toussaint allowed two hits and one run in 1 ¹⁄₃ innings of relief. He walked two more batters with just 18 of his 38 pitches finding the strike zone. Matzek, Chris Martin, Will Smith and Luke Jackson combined to allow just two hits over 4 2/3 scoreless innings out of the pen.

Swanson finished the game with three doubles while Freeman and Riley recorded two hits each. Bohm went 3-for-3 for the Phillies.

The Braves will enjoy an off day on Monday before the Yankees come to town for a two-game series that gets underway on Tuesday.