Pitching Shines as Philadelphia Phillies Shutout Braves

The Philadelphia Phillies out-pitched the Atlanta Braves en route to a big game one win.

Pitching duels are the best, aren't they?

The Philadelphia Phillies managed to shutout the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night, as the tandem of Ranger Suárez, Zach Eflin, and José Alvarado combined for a spectacular scoreless effort.

Suárez was solid as a rock, tossing six scoreless innings, and lowering his season ERA to an admirable 3.38. He made some impressive defensive plays along the way, and staved off a formidable Braves offense.

Zach Eflin was the big surprise of the night. He looked healthy as ever, tossing 1.2 innings of three-strikeout baseball, and doing so on just 15 pitches. His breaking ball looked sharp, as did his sinker, and his cutter was equally as impressive. The Phillies need another reliable bullpen arm now more so than ever: if Eflin can fill that spot, it would prove a major boon for the Phillies' playoff chances.

In the tail end of the battle José Alvarado, who has been the Phillies' filthiest and most reliable reliever of late, slammed the door shut, securing the save. He pitched a commendable 1.1 innings.

The Phillies' singular run, and the lone run of the ballgame, came thanks to back-to-back singles in the bottom of the second by J.T. Realmuto and Jean Segura. The red-hot Matt Vierling drove the former home on a sac-fly, cementing the scoring at 1-0.

The true star of Thursday night's show however was home plate umpire Andy Fletcher, who made multiple more-than questionable calls over the course of the contest, which burned both teams.

Perhaps the most influential of those calls was this called third strike to Dalton Guthrie, which would have put him at first base, allowing him to score on a Rhys Hoskins double that followed:

Kevin Long has been ejected for yelling from the dugout after one of the worst plate calls you’ll see https://t.co/MRvmUWus3g

— Inside the Phillies (@InsidePhilsFN) September 23, 2022

Kevin Long, the Phillies hitting coach, would go on to be ejected from the game in the aftermath of the dreadful ruling.

Still, it mattered little in the end, as the Phillies' lone run was enough to get the job done, and they claimed a crucial first game in a crucial series.

The Phillies will square off against the Braves once again on Friday in what is likely their most favorable pitching matchup of the series (though the same was said last week.) A rematch of Jake Odorizzi and Aaron Nola is on the docket for 7:05 p.m. EDT, and another win would be monumental for the Phillies playoff chances.

What could possibly go wrong?

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