PHILADELPHIA — Brandon Marsh homered, Jake Cave added a two-run triple and the Philadelphia Phillies crushed Matt Olson’s 50th home run of the season and avoided a doubleheader sweep by beating the Atlanta Braves 7-5 on Monday at night.
Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuña Jr. beat the Braves in a 10-8 victory, in 10 innings, on the afternoon. Harris also stayed overnight.
The Braves, who clinched at least one wild card and qualified for the postseason for the sixth straight year, must win the final two games of the series to clinch the National League East Division title in Philadelphia.
Olson hit a three-run homer in the third and added a single in the sixth, both Michael Lorenzen (9-9). Olson now has personal highs in home runs and RBIs (127). Andrew Jones owns Atlanta’s single-season record with 51 in 2005.
In the first game, Kevin Pillar and Orlando Arcia hit RBI hits in the tenth inning to get the win.
The Braves won in extra innings after Bryce Harper hit a two-run homer with two outs against Cuban Raisel Iglesias (4-4) that tied the score in the ninth for the NL wild card leaders.
Philadelphia holds the first wild card, which would allow it to return to the first round of the playoffs. The reigning circuit champions lead the Chicago Cubs by one and a half games.
For the Braves, Venezuelan Arcia was 5-2, a run scored and an RBI; and Ronald Acuña Jr. 2-for-5, one run scored and two RBIs. Puerto Rican Eddie Rosario 4-0. Dominican Marcell Ozuna 4-0.
For the Phillies, Dominican Cristian Pache is 2-0.
For the Braves, Acuña was 0-for-4, with one run scored. Rosary at 3-1. Arcia 4-0.
For the Phillies, Panamanian Edmundo Sosa went 2-for-4, a run scored and two RBI.
