Braves 2, Phillies 1
ATLANTA - First baseman Freddie Freeman launched a two-run opposite-field double off the top of the left-field wall and the Atlanta Braves rallied to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 on Saturday at Turner Field.
The win gives Atlanta (59-90) a three-game lead over Philadelphia (56-93) in the battle for last place in the National League East and the first overall pick in the 2016 draft. The Phillies have lost five straight.
Philadelphia reliever Jerome Williams entered in the top of the eighth and allowed a leadoff single to right fielder Nick Markakis and a walk to third baseman Hector Olivera. Freeman worked the count full and hit a long fly that converted outfielder Darnell Sweeney could not catch.
The double, Freeman's 24th of the year, was his fourth against Williams this season.
Williams (4-11) blew the save after rookie Jerad Eickhoff pitched seven shutout innings and left with a 1-0 lead.
Eickhoff's effort was better than the six-inning scoreless stint from his first game on Aug. 21 against Miami. He struck out five and walked two. Of his 91 pitches, 59 were for strikes.
Atlanta rookie Ryan Weber pitched seven strong innings. The right-hander allowed only two hits, both in the second inning that led to Philadelphia's run.
Weber struck out five and walked two. He has allowed three runs in 13 innings against the Phillies.
The winning pitcher was Edwin Jackson (3-3), who pitched a perfect eighth inning.
Arodys Vizcaino worked a scoreless ninth and earned his sixth save. Vizcaino allowed a one-out double to shortstop Andres Blanco, who took third on a wild pitch. But shortstop Andrelton Simmons saved a run with a diving stab of Sweeney's line drive. Vizcaino struck out center fielder Odubel Herrera to end the game.
The Phillies scored in the second inning. Right fielder Brian Bogusevic led off with a single and went to third on a hit-and-run single by catcher Carlos Ruiz. Bogusevic scored when third baseman Cody Asche grounded into a double play.
The Braves had runners on the corners in the second and third innings but failed to score against Eickhoff.
In the second, Philadelphia first baseman Darin Ruf fielded a hard-hit grounder off his knee, grabbed the rebound and threw out Simmons at the plate. He pitched around a one-out triple by Olivera.
NOTES: Philadelphia started Freddy Galvis at second base for the first time this season. He has started 134 games at shortstop. OF Aaron Altherr was out of the lineup with a sore left wrist and 1B Ryan Howard did not start because of left knee soreness. Both are day to day. ... The Braves honored their minor league player and pitchers of the year in a pregame ceremony. RHP Tyrell Jenkins was the Pitcher of the Year and OF Mallex Smith was the Player of the Year. ... The pitching matchup for the final game of the series on Sunday is Philadelphia RHP Aaron Nola (6-2, 4.11 ERA) vs. Atlanta RHP Julio Teheran (10-7, 4.34).