Marcell Ozuna hit a two-run walk-off homer in the 11th inning and the Atlanta Braves beat the visiting Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 in the rubber match of a three-game series on Thursday night.
Atlanta tied the game 2-2 in the 11th inning when Austin Riley’s double against Joe Ross (1-1) scored automatic runner Ozzie Albies. Ozuna ended the game with a 413-foot homer to left-center field.
Jose Suarez (1-0) earned the win despite allowing an unearned run in the top of the 11th when Johan Rojas drew a bases-loaded walk.
The teams waited through a 2-hour, 45-minute rain delay after the game was halted with the teams tied 1-1 at the end of the sixth inning.
Ozuna had three hits for Atlanta, which won for just the third time in its first 12 games. Bryan De La Cruz and Riley added two hits apiece.
Nick Castellanos struck out five times for Philadelphia, which went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left 13 men on base.
Atlanta took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Riley drew a one-out walk, moved to third on Ozuna’s double and scored on Matt Olson’s groundout against Jesus Luzardo.
Philadelphia pulled even with two outs in the third inning against Spencer Schwellenbach, on Kyle Schwarber’s 429-foot blast to center.
Schwarber has a National League-leading six home runs in 12 games. His long ball snapped a 16-inning scoreless streak by Schwellenbach to start the season.
Atlanta began the bottom of the third inning with three straight singles. Luzardo escaped unscathed when Albies was picked off at first base and Olson capped a 14-pitch at-bat by grounding into a double play.
Luzardo and Schwellenbach each pitched six strong innings before exiting due to the rain delay. Luzardo allowed one run on six hits, with one walk and six strikeouts.
Schwellenbach gave up one run on seven hits. He walked two and struck out five.
Following the rain delay, Atlanta put two runners on with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Carlos Hernandez fanned Albies to keep the game tied.
–Field Level Media
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