Phillies Rebound, Deliver Heartbreak Of Their Own In Come-From-Behind Win Over Braves

ATLANTA (AP) — César Hernández singled in two runs off Luke Jackson in the ninth inning, and the Philadelphia Phillies rallied from a one-run deficit to snap the Atlanta Braves' eight-game winning streak with a 6-5 victory on Saturday night.

It was a big comeback for the Phillies, who looked poised to lose for the fifth time in six games and fall 3½ games behind their rivals in NL East race. Philadelphia has dealt with rampant injuries this season and had starters Jay Bruce and J.T. Realmuto leave during the game.

Braves starter Sean Newcomb had a scary moment in the third inning when he was struck on the back of the head by J.T. Realmuto's ground-rule double. He walked off the field under his own power.

Jackson (3-2) blew his sixth save in 16 chances as Scott Kingery singled and advanced to third when the closer fielded Sean Rodríguez's sacrifice bunt and errantly threw to first. Both runners scored easily on Hernández's single into left.

Hernández hit his seventh homer in the fourth to put the Phillies up 4-2.

Josh Donaldson hit a three-run homer off Aaron Nola to erase a two-run deficit in the fifth for Atlanta, which was getting big cheers from the sellout crowd of 43,593, the largest yet in three seasons at SunTrust Park, before the ninth.

Héctor Neris, who took the loss and blew a save on Brian McCann's two-run single a night earlier, earned his 15th save in 16 chances in the bottom half of the inning, retiring Ronald Acuña Jr., Dansby Swanson and Freddie Freeman in order.

Edubray Ramos (1-0) earned the win.

Donaldson's 11th homer put the Braves up 5-4 and to give Atlanta its first lead since Austin Riley's 11th homer made it 1-0 in the second inning.

The Phillies scored three times to take a 3-1 lead in the third against Touki Toussaint (5-0), who relieved Newcomb and pitched 2 1/3 innings to get the win.

Atlanta trimmed the margin to 3-2 in the third. Acuña singled, advanced to second on right fielder Bryce Harper's fielding error and scored from third on a groundout.

Nola allowed five runs, six hits, two walks and struck out four in 4 1/3 innings. He has a 7.71 ERA over his last three starts.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Phillies: LF Jay Bruce left the game in the fourth with left hamstring tightness. ... Realmuto left the game in the sixth after getting hurt in the fifth when Freddie Freeman's foul tip glanced off his glove and smacked the catcher's upper left leg. ... Oft-injured OF Roman Quinn was hit in the shoulder by a pitch in a rehab game Friday with Double-A Reading. He has discomfort finishing his swing, but Philadelphia manager Gabe Kapler said the latest ailment is not serious.

KEUCHEL

Braves starter Dallas Keuchel received no decision in his last minor league start, allowing three runs, 11 hits and one walk with four strikeouts in seven innings with Double-A Mississippi, and is expected to join the Atlanta rotation next week. He will likely make his 2019 debut Friday at Washington.

UP NEXT

Phillies: Kapler has yet to decide who will start the series finale, but RHP Cole Irvin (2-1, 5.48) is a possibility.

Braves: RHP Mike Foltynewicz (1-5, 6.02 ERA) is 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in his last three starts and has allowed 15 homers in nine starts, a span of 49 1/3 innings.

(©Copyright 2019 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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