PHILADELPHIA — The Braves failed to capitalize on a prime scoring opportunity in the first inning, then were quieted by Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler in a 4-2 loss Saturday at Citizens Bank Park.
After leaving the bases loaded in their first at-bat, the Braves (84-58) could do little to nothing after that against Wheeler, who allowed a single run over six innings, struck out nine (including four straight at one point) and retired 11 of the final 12 hitters he faced.
“It’s tough. Feels like it’s an up-shoot fastball. It’s tough to get on top of it. Also, feels like he’s sticking it in the mitt,” Braves’ third baseman Austin Riley said about facing Wheeler. “He moves the ball over the place. He moves it away, up, down, in. To me, when he’s healthy, he’s one of the better pitchers in our game.”
The Phillies (80-62) evened the series at a game apiece and crept back into four games of the first-place Braves. The third game of the four-game series is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. Sunday.
At the outset of Saturday’s matchup, the Braves had loaded the bases with nobody out in the first inning against Wheeler (12-5) — but couldn’t score. Michael Harris II, after watching Matt Olson walk in front of him, swung at three pitches and popped out to third. Mauricio Dubón struck out looking. Ozzie Albies hit a first-pitch fastball weakly into center field.
“You know it’s going to be a tough night when Wheeler’s on the mound, but we had him had him on ropes in the first and didn’t get anything,” Braves’ manager Walt Weiss said.
It didn’t take long for that missed opportunity to haunt Weiss’ club as Luiz Arraez gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with an RBI single that scored Kyle Schwarber. Schwarber, who led off the game with a walk, was at third because he tagged from second on a fly ball to left field.
Braves starter Martín Pérez walked four hitters in the first inning, the last of which was issued to J.T. Realmuto with the bases loaded, giving the Phillies a 2-0 lead. Pérez matched his season-high for walks in a game through the first seven batters he faced.
“I don’t have that feeling. I was missing too far, and I’m not normally missing that far. I feel off-timing,” Pérez said. “I can’t find my rhythm from my wind-up, even in the stretch, and I was missing too much. I think that was a problem in the game. I was not attacking, and then was behind in the count most of the time. And then they just put a lot of damage against me.”
Pérez’s defense let him down in the second.
Derek Hill poked a ball into the right field corner that should have been a double, but Ronald Acuña Jr.’s feet came out from under him and Hill raced for third for a triple. Schwarber came up and hit a hard chopper to first that Matt Olson couldn’t corral cleanly — Olson got the out at first, but Hill had plenty of time after the miscue to score from third.
Acuña put the Braves on the board in the third with a solo home run. He hit an 0-1 sweeper 450 feet into the second deck in left field for his 15th home run of the season and 500th career RBI.
Schwarber, who went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs and a pair of walks, hit his MLB-leading 41st homer with one out in the fourth. He belted a hanging sinker 435 feet out to right, making it 4-1.
Pérez (8-9) lasted just two more hitters and was pulled after back-to-back singles by Bryce Harper and Luis Arraez, respectively. Ray Kerr induced a fielder’s choice to get out of the inning, leaving Pérez’s final line at 3 2/3 innings, seven hits, four earned runs, four walks and three strikeouts over 84 pitches.
“I think it’s just because I’ve been waiting for seven days. I think nothing I can do, because that’s the plan. But I think it takes too much time for me to be on the mound and face hitters,” said Pérez, who had last pitched Aug. 29. “I know my next (start) is going to be in five days. Hopefully, we can get back to the rhythm and do a better job. But I think that’s one of the things that I feel that has put me on a different path.
“It’s not excuses. I was not throwing a strike, but it is what it is. That’s part of baseball. Not every time you’re gonna go out there and do what you want to do.”
Riley got the Braves within 4-2 in the seventh. His two-out, solo home run off Phillies reliever Jonathan Bowlan went 428 feet out to left and was Riley’s 16th homer of the season.
Acuña came to the plate in the eighth representing the tying run with nobody out but grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.
Jhoan Duran pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the Phillies to record his 30th save of the season.
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