Pablo Sandoval, Ehire Adrianza come up big for Braves in win over Phillies

Pablo Sandoval homered with two outs in the ninth to send the game to extra innings and the Braves finally won the game 8-7 after a back-and-forth set of events in extras.

Ian Anderson had his scoreless inning streak snapped in his last outing and he struggled a bit to start this one. Jean Segura jumped on a hanging curveball and drove it out to left with one out in the first to give the Phillies another early lead. Anderson then walked Bryce Harper and gave up a double to J.T. Realmuto to put runners at second and third. Alec Bohm brought home Harper with a ground out to make it 2-0 before Anderson struck out Didi Gregorius to escape without further damage.

Philadelphia tacked on another run in the second as Brad Miller led off the inning with a single and then came around to score on a hit by Andrew McCutchen that made it 3-0.

Vince Velasquez pitched around a pair of walks in the second and held the Braves hitless the first time through the order. Ozzie Albies tripled in the fourth on a ball that caromed off of McCutchen’s wrist as he tried to make a play running down the line in left. Austin Riley followed with a walk but Dansby Swanson popped up the first pitch he saw and William Contreras grounded out to end the inning.

Anderson found himself in another tight spot in the fifth as he allowed back-to-back singles to McCutchen and Segura that put runners at first and third with no one out. Anderson tossed a perfectly placed changeup to Harper who tapped back to the mound. Anderson looked McCutchen back before starting the 1-6-3 double play. He then struck out Realmuto to escape the jam.

The Braves finally broke through against Velasquez in the sixth when Freddie Freeman snapped out of his slump with a solo shot to center to cut the deficit to 3-1. Freeman was 0-for-22 coming into that at-bat but had hit the ball hard in both of his previous plate appearances.

After a groundout by Marcell Ozuna, Velasquez would exit as Joe Girardi would summon Sam Coonrod from the bullpen to face Albies. Velasquez pitched well allowing just two hits and one run over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out six and walked three.

Coonrod fanned Albies for the second out but then allowed a single to Riley. Swanson then hit a bullet to left but McCutchen was able to flag it down just shy of the track to end the frame.

Grant Dayton replaced Anderson in the seventh. Anderson had a lot of traffic on the bases but was aided by seven strikeouts. He allowed six hits, three walks and three runs over six innings, which was big after Snitker was forced to go deep into his bullpen Friday. He held the Phillies scoreless over his last four innings of work.

Dayton allowed an infield single to Odubel Herrera and then later a two-out single that deflected off the glove of Freeman at first to put runners at the corners. However, Dayton got Harper to chase a breaking ball in the dirt to strand the runners.

Coonrod retired Contreras and Cristian Pache to begin the seventh but then allowed a pinch hit single to Ehire Adrianza. He then started Acuña with an up and in fastball. The 1-0 pitch was a 98 mph heater that hit Acuña on the hand. He would exit the game and be replaced by pinch runner Josh Tomlin. Joe Girardi would bring on Jose Alvarado to face Freeman who grounded out to first to end the inning.

After Luke Jackson retired the side in order in the eighth (!), Ozuna worked a leadoff walk against Alvarado and then moved up to second on a wild pitch. However, Albies grounded out and then Alvarado struck out both Riley and Swanson to leave Ozuna stranded.

Hector Neris came on in the ninth to try and close out the game. He struck out Contreras and got Pache to line out to Herrera in center for the first two outs. Adrianza, who stayed in the game in right replacing Acuña, worked a full count and then walked to give the Braves a chance. That would bring Pablo Sandoval to the plate as the pinch hitter. Sandoval fell behind 1-2 in the count but then squared up a 93 mph fastball and drove it out to right center to tie the game.

Neris then walked Freeman but got Ozuna to fly out to Harper to send the game to extra innings.

The 10th inning begin with Scott Kingery at second and Will Smith on the mound for the Braves. Smith walked McCutchen to begin the inning but then struck out pinch hitter Rhys Hoskins for the first out. Smith got Harper to pop out to Swanson at short for the second out and Realmuto on a pop out to Freeman for the third out.

Ozuna began the bottom half of the inning at second with Brandon Kintzler now on the mound for the Phillies. Ozuna moved over to third on a ground out by Albies. Philadelphia then intentionally walked Riley and Swanson to load the bases for Contreras. The Phillies elected to bring Harper in to form a six-man infield. Kintzler fell behind in the count 2-1 but got Contreras to bounce to Bohm at third who threw home to get the force. Next up would be Pache who quickly fell behind in the count and struck out to squander a big opportunity.

A.J. Minter took over on the mound for the Braves in the 11th with Realmuto the runner at second base. Minter struck out Bohm and Gregorius for the first two outs before Nick Maton squared up a fastball and doubled off the wall in center. Realmuto scored on the play to put the Phillies back in front 4-3. Herrera then reached on catcher interference by Contreras, but Kingery flew out to Ozuna to end the inning.

So the Braves would need more heroics in the 11th against Connor Brogdon. Pache began the inning as the Braves’ runner at second base. Up first was Adrianza who hit a high chopper to Gregorius at short. Gregorius’ throw was wide of first and Pache came all the way around to tie the game.

Max Fried came on to pinch hit and laid down a perfect bunt to advance Adrianza to second. The Phillies then opted to walk Freeman to set up the double play. Ozuna fell behind 0-2 and popped up to first for the second out. Up next would be Albies,, who worked the count to 3-1 but grounded out harmlessly to Maton at second to send the game to the 12th.

Jacob Webb replaced Minter in the 12th with Kingery out at second base to begin the inning. McCutchen led off the inning with a bullet off the chest of Riley to reach safely. Andrew Knapp came on to pinch hit and dropped down a bunt, Contreras pounced on it but was unable to pick it up, giving the Phillies the bases loaded with no one out.

That would bring Harper to the plate who again grounded back to the mound, but Webb’s throw was wide to the plate and got past Contreras. Kingery and McCutchen scored to give the Phillies a 6-4 lead, with McCutchen only able to come around because Webb was lamenting his poor throw rather than covering home plate. Realmuto followed with a single to right to score Knapp to make it 7-4.

The Braves refused to go away in the bottom half. Albies began the inning at second. Enyel De Los Santos walked Riley to begin the inning and then allowed a solid single by Swanson to load the bases. Contreras followed with a double to left that cleared the bases and tied the game back up at 7-7.

Santos exited without retiring a batter as Girardi summoned erstwhile starter Matt Moore. Pache dropped down a sacrifice bunt that Kingery fielded but hesitated before throwing to third. Contreras beat the play with a good slide to put the winning run at third base. Adrianza followed with the game-winner to right to score Contreras and give Atlanta the unlikeliest of wins.

The Braves will go for a series win on Sunday with Huascar Ynoa matching up against Aaron Nola on Sunday Night Baseball.