Trea Turner delivered a two-run single with his team down to its final strike, lifting the Philadelphia Phillies to a 3-2, 10-inning win over the visiting Atlanta Braves on Saturday.
Nacho Alvarez Jr. had the go-ahead base hit in the top of the 10th for Atlanta, which has lost the first three games of this series. Braves reliever Hunter Stratton hit Nick Castellanos with a pitch to open the bottom half, and Bryson Stott reached on a single with one out to load the bases.
Dylan Dodd came out of the bullpen and struck out Brandon Marsh looking for the second out. Turner then fell behind 1-2 before shooting a single into right field to send his teammates storming out of the dugout as Castellanos slid home with the decisive run.
After missing more than two months with a fractured ribcage, Atlanta’s Chris Sale returned to throw 78 pitches — 51 strikes — over six effective innings. He gave up only one run and three hits and walked one with nine strikeouts.
Philadelphia starter Cristopher Sanchez allowed one run and seven hits over seven frames. He struck out eight and did not walk anyone.
Sale began his night by walking Turner on five pitches before recovering to strike out the next three batters. He struck out another as part of a 1-2-3 second inning, but then Weston Wilson homered in the third as the hosts took a 1-0 lead.
The Braves drew even in the sixth as Jurickson Profar and Matt Olson recorded consecutive doubles to open the frame. Sanchez limited the damage by retiring the next three batters, including a strikeout of Ronald Acuna Jr.
The Phillies squandered a chance to score in the sixth inning and again in the eighth.
Their sixth-inning threat ended when Olson fielded Bryce Harper’s sharp grounder, stepped on first and fired home to nab Turner. Then in the eighth, Philadelphia had runners on the corners with one out, but Turner and Kyle Schwarber failed to plate the go-ahead run.
Matt Strahm (2-3) logged the top of the 10th to earn the win for the Phillies.
