Atlanta Braves vs Philadelphia Phillies Match Player Stats On Mar 30, 2019

High-priced offseason acquisitions Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto hit their first home runs for Philadelphia and sparked the Phillies to an 8-6 win over the visiting Atlanta Braves on Saturday.

Realmuto ripped a two-run shot into the center field bleachers that put the Phillies ahead to stay in the fifth inning and Harper hammered a 465-foot solo homer in the seventh.

Maikel Franco was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and homered for the second straight game. Franco plated an insurance run in the eighth when his well-located fly ball bounced off the glove of first baseman Freddie Freeman for a single and allowed Cesar Hernandez to score all the way from first.

Six of Philadelphia's nine hits were for extra bases.

The winning pitcher was Adam Morgan (1-0), who retired the only batter he faced in the fifth.

The losing pitcher was rookie Wes Parsons (0-1), who surrendered the homer to Realmuto.

Atlanta's offense was paced by Freeman, who went 4-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs. Dansby Swanson and Charlie Culberson each hit two-run homers, their first of the year.

Neither starting pitcher figured in the decision. Atlanta rookie Bryse Wilson worked 3 1/3 innings and allowed four runs on five hits with four walks and three strikeouts. Philadelphia's Nick Pivetta worked 4 2/3 innings and gave up four runs on eight hits with one walk and four strikeouts.

The Braves jumped on Pivetta for a run in the first inning when Freeman doubled home Ender Inciarte, who opened the game with a triple. Atlanta made it 3-0 in the second inning when Swanson lined a two-run homer into the left-field seats.

Philadelphia got a run back in the bottom of the second. Rhys Hoskins led off with a double and scored on Realmuto's single to center field.

The Phillies took a 4-3 lead in the fourth inning when Hernandez tripled home Odubel Herrera. Franco followed with a towering two-run home run that hit the foul pole, his second homer of the season.

Freeman evened the game at 4-4 in the fifth when he beat the shift and delivered an RBI single to left, allowing Inciarte to score.

Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said Saturday that injured starters Mike Foltynewicz (elbow) and Kevin Gausman (shoulder tendinitis) and left-handed reliever A.J. Minter (left shoulder) may be back sooner than expected. Foltynewicz, an All-Star last season, is scheduled to throw 80 pitches for the Triple-A Gwinnett affiliate on Thursday. Gausman is expected to be activated for the Miami series next weekend, with Minter also a possibility.

The teams play the finale of the three-game opening series on Sunday.

--Field Level Media