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The Philadelphia Phillies took the field at Citizens Bank Park on March 29, a Friday afternoon, to take on their NL East rivals, the Atlanta Braves for their 142nd Opening […]
The Philadelphia Phillies took the field at Citizens Bank Park on March 29, a Friday afternoon, to take on their NL East rivals, the Atlanta Braves for their 142nd Opening Day in franchise history. The game was originally scheduled for March 28, but was postponed late Wednesday night ahead of anticipated rain.
Zack Wheeler, the Phillies ace and projected Top 5-finisher in the NL Cy Young race, took the mound on Opening Day for the first time in his career, opposing Braves pitcher Spencer Strider, who also made his first Opening Day start.
Ronald Acuna had a hit and a stolen base in the top of the first inning, but Wheeler avoided trouble thanks to a couple of nice defensive plays by Alec Bohm and Bryce Harper. Strider retired Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, and Bryce Harper in the bottom of the first to keep the game scoreless.
Alec Bohm recorded the first hit of the Phillies 2024 season in the second inning, but Philadelphia was unable to bring their first baserunner of the game home, as Nick Castellanos became the third Phillie to strike out through two innings.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, the game finally started to experience some runs. After Bryson Stott led off the inning with a single, Brandon Marsh launched a 396-foot homer to left field two batters later to break the scoreless tie and put the Phillies up 2-0.
Wheeler delivered six scoreless innings for the Phillies before being relieved by Matt Strahm, who promptly gave up two runs and only recorded a single out. Pinch-hitter Adam Duvall doubled in his first at-bat of the season, scoring Orlando Arcia and Michael Harris II to tie the game 2-2.
The Phillies were retired 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning, and in the top of the eighth inning, things got out of hand.
With Jose Alvarado on the mound for Philadelphia to start the eighth inning, and left after recording two outs, allowing two Braves to cross the plate, and loading the bases.
Philadelphia reliever Connor Brogdon came in to try and clean up the mess, but allowed five more runs: including one on a wild pitch and one on a bases loaded walk, that put the game out of reach for the Phillies as Atlanta went up 9-2 with just six outs remaining for the home team.
Philadelphia went down 1-2-3 again in the bottom of the eighth inning, and when Aaron Bummer came into the game in the ninth inning for Atlanta, he ended the game with relative ease despite giving up a walk and a run (Nick Castellanos single scoring Alec Bohm.)
Bohm had the best Opening Day offensively for the Phillies, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. The Phillies top four hitters in the lineup, Schwarber, Turner, Harper, and J.T. Realmuto, combined to go 0-for-14 with six strikeouts and two walks.
The Braves prevailed 9-3 on Opening Day to start the season 1-0, while the Phillies begin the year 0-1. The series will continue on Saturday at 4:05 PM Eastern Time.
Header Photo Credit: Drew Hallowell/Getty Images
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