Schwarber, Wheeler Bury Atlanta Early in 4-2 Phillies Win

Philadelphia put three runs on the board before Atlanta recorded a single run, and Zack Wheeler made sure that cushion was never seriously threatened. The Phillies beat the Braves 4-2 on September 5, with Kyle Schwarber driving in 2 and scoring twice as the story of the night.

The game was effectively decided in the first two innings. Arraez singled to right to score Schwarber in the first, then Realmuto drew a walk that scored Turner — a play Atlanta challenged and lost, watching the win probability swing from 71% to 79% in Philadelphia's favor as the call was upheld. Schwarber then grounded out to first in the second to score Hill, and just like that it was 3-0 before Atlanta's lineup had done anything. Martin Perez, who inherited the mess after Ray Kerr and Brent Suter combined to hold Philadelphia to 2 hits over 4.1 innings, couldn't stop the bleeding — he allowed 7 hits, 4 earned runs, and 4 walks across 3.2 innings, and the damage was already done long before he took the ball.

Atlanta's offense showed flashes of what it's capable of, but the timing was never right. Ronald Acuña Jr. launched a 450-foot home run to left center in the third to make it 3-1, and Schwarber answered immediately in the fourth with a 435-foot shot to right that pushed it back to 4-1. That exchange looks like the moment any remaining drama was extinguished — Atlanta got a run, Philadelphia got it right back with interest. Austin Riley added a 428-foot homer to left center in the seventh to make it 4-2, but by then Wheeler was already out of the game having done his damage: 6.0 innings, 3 hits, 1 earned run, 9 strikeouts. That's a vintage Wheeler line, and it appears to be the kind of outing that makes a bullpen's job almost ceremonial.

Schwarber finished 2-for-3 with a home run, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Arraez went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Derek Hill was 2-for-4 with a run scored. For Atlanta, Acuña Jr. and Riley each homered, and Drake Baldwin went 2-for-4, but the Braves' three long balls all came in losing situations — the story of the night was that Atlanta never had a lead to protect, and Wheeler made sure they never got close enough to threaten one. Philadelphia's early-inning efficiency against a bullpen game was the difference, plain and simple.