Jesus Luzardo threw his first career complete game and Kyle Schwarber delivered the game’s only run with his major league-leading 43rd homer to help the Philadelphia Phillies beat the visiting Atlanta Braves 1-0 Monday afternoon.
Luzardo (14-5) logged 12 strikeouts while holding Atlanta to just two hits and one walk over nine innings and 109 pitches to help the Phillies (81-63) split the four-game series.
Right-hander Grant Holmes kept the hosts scoreless on three hits and two walks, fanning six through six innings for the Braves (85-59), who had won three of their previous four games.
Schwarber broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the eighth. With two outs, Schwarber mashed a fastball from right-hander Didier Fuentes (5-2) 415 feet into the upper deck in right field for his third homer in as many games.
Holmes had a tough first inning, giving the Phillies the best scoring chance either side had through seven innings to open the scoring.
Schwarber led the frame off with a single to right. Bryce Harper drew a one-out walk, and two batters later, Holmes walked Alec Bohm on four straight pitches to load the bases with two outs. Holmes escaped the jam by getting Bryson Stott to line out to center.
Holmes settled down from there, retiring Philadelphia in order each of the next three frames before Brandon Marsh notched the hosts’ second hit of the day with a single to right to open the fifth. A Justin Crawford double play ended this threat.
The Braves didn’t get their first baserunner until the third when Luzardo hit Austin Riley on the foot with a sweeper. They connected for their first hit of the game an inning later on Matt Olson’s single to center.
The two sides combined for a mere three hits through the first five innings, all singles. Trea Turner collected the first extra-base hit of the day in the bottom of the sixth, knocking a double deep to left field, but was stranded there when Holmes retired the next two batters to end his outing.
