The Sports Xchange
Sep 22, 2017
ATLANTA -- Kurt Suzuki produced his third multi-home run game of the season to spark the Atlanta Braves to a 7-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night at SunTrust Park.
Suzuki was 2-for-4 with three RBIs. His two-run shot in the first inning off starter Ben Lively sparked a five-run rally and his solo homer in the seventh inning off reliever Yacksel Rios provided some insurance. It was the fifth multi-homer game of Suzuki's career and he has 18 home runs on the season.
Atlanta's Nick Markakis was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and Ozzie Albies and Johan Camarago also added two hits each. The Braves scored their most runs since tallying eight against the Nationals on Sept. 13.
The run support benefited rookie left-hander Sean Newcomb (4-8), who won his second straight start. He pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed two runs on four hits and two walks, with five strikeouts. He has allowed three or fewer runs in 10 of his last 11 starts.
Rookie reliever Dan Winkler entered the game with two runners on base in the sixth and retired both batters he faced to end the threat. The Atlanta bullpen followed with scoreless innings from rookie A.J. Minter, Sam Freeman and Luke Jackson, who struck out two batters in the ninth.
Lively (3-7) allowed six runs in five innings on eight hits and two walks. It was as many runs as Lively had allowed in his last three starts combined.
Philadelphia's Nick Williams was 2-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and two RBIs. Cesar Hernandez had a double, three walks and scored a run.
The Braves jumped on Lively for five runs in the first inning. The first six Atlanta batters got hits. Ozzie Albies had an RBI single, Nick Markakis had a two-run single and Kurt Suzuki smacked a two-run homer, his 17th.
Atlanta added a run in the second when Markakis lined a two-out RBI single that scored Newcomb, who walked to open the inning.
Philadelphia scored in the fourth to make it 6-1. Cesar Hernandez doubled, Freddy Galvis singled and Nick Williams got the RBI with a sacrifice fly to left field.
NOTES: Atlanta CF Ender Inciarte was 2-for-5 on Friday and has 192 hits for the season. Inciarte is trying to become the first Brave to reach 200 hits since Marquis Grissom in 2007. Inciarte was ruled safe on a grounder to shortstop in the fourth inning, but the call was overturned on appeal. ... Atlanta rookie A.J. Minter pitched a scoreless inning on Friday and has not issued a walk in his first 12 career games. Since at least 1913, no Braves pitcher has issued zero walks through the first 12 games of his career. Minter has struck out 15 of the last 29 batters he has faced. ... Philadelphia CF Odubel Herrera grounded out with the bases loaded in the eighth inning and is 1-for-13 with the bases loaded this season.