PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Nick Castellanos hit a go-ahead two-run homer in seventh inning, Brandon Marsh hit a three-run shot in the sixth and the Philadelphia Phillies built on their NL East lead with a 5-4 win over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night.
The Phillies hold a six-game lead over the Braves for the division crown after taking the opener of a four-game series.
It got fun late for Philly.
Braves starter Charlie Morton allowed the leadoff runner to reach in five of the first six innings and struggled to throw strikes but was bailed out by a Philadelphia offense that wasted runners in scoring position.
That is, until Marsh went deep the other way to left field off Morton for his 14th homer of the year that made it 4-3 in the sixth.
Castellanos, perhaps the most consistent Phillies slugger in the second half of the season, crushed a two-out homer to center off Grant Holmes (2-1) that got a rise out of the 40,000-plus fans in attendance and put the Phillies up 5-4 in the seventh.
“It’s fun, man. It’s a high,” Castellanos said. “It’s a cool feeling when everyone stands up and shows their love.”
With good reason. Castellanos hit his 12th career go-ahead homer in the seventh inning or later and his first of the season. Delivering in big moments have been the norm of late for Castellanos. He hit a three-run homer off Justin Verlander in a 5-0 win over Houston on Tuesday.
“Moments like that are always a lot of fun, so I enjoy doing it,” Castellanos said.
Orion Kerkering (3-2) struck out two in 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief for the win. Jeff Hoffman worked the ninth for his 10th save.
The Phillies appeared on cruise control toward the NL East title after opening with the best 60-game start of any team since the 2001 Seattle Mariners. They slumped through the summer and their series against the Braves — a team the Phillies eliminated from the playoffs each of the last two years — suddenly took on greater meaning.
“There’s a lot on the line for both teams,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said ahead of the game. “A good rivalry. One of the better rivalries in baseball right now. It’s going to be a fun weekend.”
Matt Olson homered twice for the Braves, including a 450-foot drive over the batter’s eye in deep center field in the third.
All-Star Cristopher Sánchez got an extra day of rest to prepare for the Braves and turned in a decent outing. He has hampered by shortstop Trea Turner’s error in the third inning that set up Olson’s 24th homer of the year for a 3-0 lead.
Orlando Arcia, a noted Phillies’ tormentor, had an RBI double in the second. Sánchez was chased after he allowed seven hits and four runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Philadelphia’s slow start came a day after the Phillies were no-hit into the eighth inning and lost 10-0 to Houston. The loss also forced struggling pitcher Taijuan Walker out of the rotation and into the bullpen in a long-relief role for the rest of the season.
Olson added his 25th homer of the year on a solo shot off Sánchez in the sixth for his 24th career multi-homer game.
“We’re kind of into not winning series, but winning games,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “Every one is probably as important as the next right now with where we are.”
Where they are, is chasing the Phillies.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies 3B Alec Bohm left the game after the second inning with left hand discomfort. Bohm appeared to hurt his hand on an awkward swing in his first at-bat of the game. Edmundo Sosa took over for Bohm.
Thomson said Bohm was sore and would be evaluated again before Friday’s game.
UP NEXT
The Braves send RHP Reynaldo López (7-4, 2.02 ERA) to the mound against Phillies LHP Ranger Suárez (11-5, 2.82 ERA).
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