Phillies Lose To Braves 2-1
ATLANTA (AP) — Cameron Maybin drove in the go-ahead run in the fourth inning and the Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 on Friday night in a matchup of the two worst teams in the majors.
The Braves won for just the fifth time in 31 games and are two games ahead of Philadelphia, which has dropped 12 of 15, in the NL East.
Braves closer Arodys Vizcaino earned his fifth save in six chances with a shaky ninth that included walking the leadoff batter and letting Odubel Herrera reach to load the bases after striking out on a wild pitch. Darin Ruf lined out to end the game.
Atlanta took a 2-1 lead in the fourth when Freddie Freeman doubled, moved to third on a fly ball and scored on Maybin's single.
The Phillies missed a chance in the sixth when reliever Andrew McKirahan, the third Atlanta pitcher, struck out pinch-hitter Jeff Francoeur with the bases loaded.
Philadelphia had a runner at third twice in the seventh, but pinch-hitter Chase d'Arnaud was tagged out a squeeze play and Aaron Altherr was stranded on Ruf's groundout.
Braves starter Williams Perez (6-6) won his second straight decision, giving up six hits, one run and one walk, striking out six in 5 2-3 innings.
Adam Morgan (5-7) lost his third straight start after allowing five hits and two runs with three strikeouts in six innings.
Adonis Garcia's RBI double put the Braves up 1-0 in the first. Manager Fredi Gonzalez replaced him with Michael Bourn in the top of the second after Garcia was tagged out for overrunning the bag.
Cameron Rupp's ninth homer made it 1-all in the second.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Phillies: Manager Pete Mackanin still isn't sure if RHP Aaron Nola will make another start after Sunday. Nola, the No. 7 overall draft pick of 2014, has thrown a combined 175 innings in the majors and minors, and the team originally didn't want him to go past 190. ... 1B Ryan Howard hasn't played since injuring his left knee Monday. The Phillies aren't sure if he will play again this year, but Howard is on the three-city trip that began Friday.
Braves: RHP Dan Winkler, a Rule 5 draft pick taken in December from Colorado, will be available in the bullpen to make his major league debut Monday. He had Tommy John surgery in June 2014. Gonzalez said Winkler threw a simulated game Friday and will take the next two days off.
UP NEXT
Phillies: RHP Jerad Eickhoff (1-3) will make his sixth career start. He's coming off a Sept. 12 win over the Chicago Cubs.
Braves: Ryan Weber (0-1) will make his third career start and second against Philadelphia since Sept. 8.
(© Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)