Strider dominant, Contreras homers, Braves sweep Phillies
ATLANTA - Rookie Spencer Strider took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning and struck out 10, William Contreras hit a tiebreaking homer and the Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-2 on Sunday for a three-game sweep.
Strider (11-5) didn't allow a hit until Alec Bohm homered to tie the score 1-1. Rookie center fielder Michael Harris II looked as if he might catch the ball as he leapt, but it went just out of the reach of his glove and over the wall. Bohm’s 12th homer traveled 412 feet.
Contreras drove a changeup by Connor Brogdon (2-1) for a 410-foot shot into the left-field seats to make it 2-1 in the sixth.
Robbie Grossman, who drove in the Braves’ first run with a double in the third, hit his seventh homer to give the Braves a 3-1 lead against Sam Coonrod in the seventh. Austin Riley followed with a run-scoring single, and Marcell Ozuna added an RBI double in the eighth.
Atlanta improved to 68-28 since June 1, best in the majors over that span. The defending World Series champion Braves began the day one game behind the New York Mets in the NL East.
Philadelphia started Sunday leading San Diego by one-half game for the second NL wild card. The Phillies were 59-34 since June 1, tied for the fourth-best winning percentage over that same span, but they have lost four straight after winning five in a row.
Strider gave up one run and one hit with three walks in six innings in his sixth double-digit strikeout performance. Three relievers finished a four-hitter.
Strider struck out Nick Maton to begin the fifth, reaching 200 strikeouts for the season and becoming the first Braves rookie with 200 in the modern era. Despite not making his first start until May 30, Strider began the day ranked fourth in the NL with 192 strikeouts in 128 innings.
He is 4-0 with a 1.27 ERA in three career starts and one relief appearance against Philadelphia. The Phillies went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position after beginning the game with the majors’ best average in such situations at .276.
J.T. Realmuto homered off Jesse Chavez in the ninth to make it 5-2.
The Braves have won eight straight home games, outscoring opponents 39-11 over that span, and have won 11 of their last 14 games against Philadelphia in Atlanta, outscoring the Phillies 75-44 during this stretch.
Phillies starter Bailey Falter allowed one run and four hits in 4 2/3 innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: When RHP Zack Wheeler (forearm tendinitis) comes off the IL for his start Wednesday, he will be on a pitch count and will be replaced early in the game by RHP Noah Syndergaard. Interim manager Rob Thomson plans to use Syndergaard in this role for two starts behind Wheeler. Falter will remain in the rotation. ... 1B Rhys Hoskins (right hand) returned to the lineup after getting hit by a pitch on Wednesday. He went 0 for 4.
Braves: 2B Ozzie Albies will wear a cast for three weeks after fracturing his right pinky finger Friday. He will not require surgery and hopes to return for the postseason. Albies was placed on the 10-day IL and INF Rylan Bannon was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett.
SLUMPING
Atlanta 1B Matt Olson went 0 for 4 and is hitting .062 with one homer and four RBIs since Aug. 28. His average has dropped 22 points to .234 over his last 18 games.
LONG TIME AGO
Kid Nichols struck out 222 in 1890 and Bill Stemmyer fanned 239 in 1886 to hold the Braves’ franchise record for strikeouts for rookies in a single season. The last rookie pitcher to strike out 200 or more in a single season was Yu Darvish in 2012.
UP NEXT
Phillies: After an off day Monday, Philadelphia will send RHP Kyle Gibson to the mound opposite RHP Ross Stripling (8-4, 2.94) as the team opens a two-game home series against Toronto.
Braves: RHP Kyle Wright (18-5, 3.18 ERA) will face RHP Cory Abbott (0-2, 4.37) as Atlanta opens a three-game home series against Washington.