ATLANTA (AP) — Ronald Acuña Jr. homered to spark an eight-run fourth inning and Tyler Mahle turned in another stellar outing to lead the Atlanta Braves to their second straight victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, 12-2 on Saturday night.
The Braves had to rally three times in 11 innings to win the series opener between the two top NL East teams. This one was a lot easier.
Acuña hit a towering shot that barely cleared the wall in front of the Phillies
bullpen off Brooks Raley (5-7), who took the loss for the second straight night. Acuña tacked on a run-scoring single to close out the big inning.
Philadelphia was one out from escaping the inning with no further damage. Ozzie Albies walked and Michael Harris II singled before the Phillies, going with a bullpen game after Jesús Luzardo was scratched with a tight shoulder, called in Grant Holman for his first big league appearance of the season.
Mauricio Dubón had a two-run single, Drake Baldwin brought in two more runs with a double off the wall, and some sloppy play by the Phillies led to five unearned runs in the fourth. Bryson Stott had a throwing error on a routine play that would've ended the inning, and another run scored on a wild pitch.
Mahle (5-10) has pitched brilliantly for the Braves since the journeyman was acquired ahead of the trade deadline. He surrendered only a first-inning homer to Bryce Harper over seven innings, improving to 3-1 with a a 1.25 ERA in seven starts with Atlanta.
He allowed just six hits with three strikeouts and no walks.
Harris added a three-run homer in the eighth off Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs.
RHP Grant Holmes (9-5, 3.46) will try to give the Braves a sweep on the series when he takes the mound Sunday against Philadelphia RHP Andrew Painter (3-9, 5.71).
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