Eddie Rosario delivers late as Braves beat Phillies 7-6 in 10 innings

The Atlanta Braves watched a 6-1 lead slip away, but Eddie Rosario delivered in the 10th for a 7-6 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Braves were unable to score over the first two innings, but they made Zack Wheeler work. Wheeler walked Austin Riley with two outs in the first, but then got Matt Olson to ground out to end the inning. They threatened again in the second as Eddie Rosario singled with two outs and then moved to second on a walk by Orlando Arcia. However, Wheeler came back and struck out Michael Harris swinging to end the inning. Still, Wheeler needed 47 pitches to navigate the first two frames.

Max Fried struck out Kyle Schwarber to begin his night and retired the first five Phillies hitters he faced. Nick Castellanos jumped on a first pitch fastball and drove it out to right center to put Philadelphia in front 1-0. Fried came right back though and struck out Edmundo Sosa on three pitches to end the second.

The Braves tied the game in the fourth when Matt Olson took Wheeler deep for his 51st home run of the season. That ties him with Andruw Jones for the most in a single season in franchise history.

Fried settled in after Castellanos’ homer and retired the side in order in the third. Trea Turner singled to start the fourth, but was erased as Alec Bohm bounced into a 6-4-3 double play. Fried walked Bryce Harper and then allowed an opposite field single to J.T. Realmuto. Both runners moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch by Fried, but Castellanos lined out sharply to Eddie Rosario in left to end the inning.

The Braves took the lead against Wheeler in the fifth. Harris led off the inning with a single to left and then came around to score on Ronald Acuña Jr’s 37th home run of the season to put the Braves in front 3-1. Acuña scored his 132nd run of the season to pass Dale Murphy for the modern day record for a single season for runs scored.

Atlanta continued to add on. Ozzie Albies flew out for the first out, but Austin Riley singled. Wheeler walked Matt Olson and Marcell Ozuna brought everyone home with his 34th home run of the season to extend the lead to 6-1.

Fried retired the first two hitters to start the fifth before Rojas singled sharply to center. Fried then walked Schwarber to put runners at first and second, but struck out Turner swinging to leave the runners stranded.

With the big lead, Brian Snitker elected to go with his bullpen and replace Fried after just 87 pitches. He allowed four hits, two walks and one run to go along with six strikeouts over five innings.

Michael Tonkin took over in the sixth and immediately found himself in trouble after back to back walks to Bohm and Harper to begin the inning. After a visit by Rick Kranitz, Tonkin got Realmuto to pop out for a big first out. Castellanos followed with a fly out to Acuña in right for the second out. Tonkin then got pinch-hitter Bryson Stott to fly out to Rosario in left to strand two more runners.

The Braves threatened again in the seventh as Olson singled with two outs off of Serathony Dominguez. Rob Thomson brought in Yunior Marte to face Ozuna who rapped a double over the head of Pache in left to put runners at second and third. However, Travis d’Arnaud struck out swinging to leave the runners stranded.

Tonkin stayed in for the seventh and struck out Pache to begin the inning. Rojas followed with a double to left. Tonkin came right back and struck out Schwarber for the second out. Turner then lined one back up the middle for a single to score Rojas and cut the lead to 6-2. Turner stole second, but Tonkin struck out Bohm to end the threat.

Joe Jimenez entered in the eighth and promptly served up a solo shot to Harper to make it 6-3. Jimenez retired Realmuto on a long fly out to center, but Castellanos singled to left. That prompted another visit from pitching coach Rick Kranitz. Jimenez jumped ahead of Stott 1-2, but left a fast ball up and out over the plate that he drove over the wall in center for a two-run shot to cut Atlanta’s lead to 6-5.

Brian Snitker would go back to his bullpen and bring on A.J. Minter to face pinch-hitter Brandon Marsh who struck out on four pitches for the second out. Minter jumped ahead of Rojas 1-2, but lost him to bring up Schwarber. Rojas stole second to move into scoring position. Minter ran the count to 2-2 and then got Schwarber to chase a cutter down and away to end the threat.

Raisel Iglesias entered in the ninth and served up a game-tying homer to Turner to start the inning. Iglesias got the count to 2-2 against Bohm, but again couldn’t put him away as he served a soft single to right. He jumped ahead of Harper 0-2, but then ran the count full before Harper singled to right to put the winning run at second with no one out.

Iglesias came back and struck out Realmuto on three pitches for the first out. Castellanos then sent a grounder to Riley at third who started the 5-4-3 double play to send the game into extra innings.

Craig Kimbrel took over on the mound for the Phillies and Forrest Will entered as a pinch-runner for Ozuna to start the inning at second. d’Arnaud grounded out to Turner at short for the first out, but Wall moved over to third on the play. Rosario stepped in and fouled off four straight 1-2 pitches before singling to right to give the Braves back the lead at 7-6.

Arcia flied out to the track in left for the second out, but Rosario tagged up and moved into scoring position on the play. Kimbrel would escape though with no further damage as Harris flew out deep into the left field corner to end the inning.

Brad Hand entered the game in the 10th for the Braves and Castellanos started the inning at second base for Philadelphia. Stott bounced out to Olson for the first out, but Castellanos moved to third on the play. With the tying run 90 feet away, Hand struck out Marsh swinging on a nasty breaking for the second out. Hand then got Rojas to pop out to Albies at second to end the game.

With the win, Atlanta improves to 95-50 for the season. Their magic number to clinch the NL East is down to two. The series will wrap up on Wednesday with Spencer Strider matching up against lefty Cristopher Sanchez.