Phillies Tie Series With Braves Behind Luzardo’s Masterpiece

The Philadelphia Phillies answered back.

After a heartbreaking loss on Sunday, the Phillies bounced back Monday with a 1-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves, splitting the four game series between two of the National League’s top teams. The win moved Philadelphia to 81-63, while Atlanta fell to 85-59.

Luzardo Takes Over

The biggest story of the afternoon was undoubtedly Jesús Luzardo.

The Phillies left-hander delivered one of the best performances of his season, throwing a complete-game shutout while allowing just two hits and one walk. Luzardo struck out 12 Braves hitters on 109 pitches, completely shutting down an Atlanta lineup that had scored five runs the previous day.

Atlanta simply couldn’t solve him.

Luzardo continued attacking the strike zone throughout the afternoon and saved his best work for the ninth inning. With the game still hanging in the balance, Philadelphia’s ace remained on the mound and finished the job himself.

Schwarber Comes Through Again

While Luzardo dominated on the mound, the Phillies needed just one offensive swing to give him the support he needed.

That swing came from Kyle Schwarber.

With two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, Schwarber launched a solo home run off Braves reliever Didier Fuentes, sending the ball 415 feet and giving Philadelphia its first and only lead of the game. It was Schwarber’s 43rd home run of the season, continuing his remarkable power campaign.

One run was all Luzardo needed.

A Much-Needed Response

The victory was especially important after Sunday’s collapse.

Philadelphia had led Atlanta 4-1 entering the eighth inning before Ronald Acuña Jr. crushed a game-tying three-run homer. Austin Riley then delivered the go-ahead triple in the ninth, giving Atlanta a painful 5-4 comeback victory.

Instead of allowing that loss to carry over, the Phillies immediately responded with their pitching staff leading the way.

The series split also keeps Philadelphia within striking distance of Atlanta in the NL East. The Braves still hold the division lead, but their advantage dropped from five games to four following Monday’s result.

Phillies Send a Message

Philadelphia didn’t dominate offensively Monday.

It didn’t need to.

Luzardo’s complete-game shutout and Schwarber’s late home run were enough to deliver one of the biggest wins of the series.

The Phillies came into Monday needing a response, and they got exactly that. They leave the series with momentum, a 1-0 victory, and a reminder that they aren’t going anywhere in the NL East race.