Sean Murphy’s big night and another Braves trade

With Chris Sale on the bump for the Braves, it felt like a nice cushion, but the lead was short-lived. The Phillies would answer with three runs of their own in the third, with Sale not looking anything like the guy he was a year ago. The velocity on his heater is down considerably, something everyone will be monitoring very closely moving forward. The last thing the Braves need is another injury, especially to arguably the best pitcher in their rotation and the reigning NL Cy Young award winner.

The Phillies would add another run to their lead in the fifth on a Kyle Schwarber home run, but for the first time all season, the Braves showed some life late in the game. Murphy cut the lead to one in the sixth with his second hit of the game, a single through the right side of the infield, and Michael Harris II tied it later in the inning with a sacrifice fly.

In the seventh, an Austin Riley double into the right-center field gap gave the Braves the lead, and a wild pitch in the eighth provided some insurance, setting the stage for Raisel Iglesias‘ first save of the season. A walk to Bryce Harper with two outs added to the dramatics, but Iglesias shut the door by forcing a pop out off the bat of Alex Bohm.

It was the kind of win that could finally lead to some momentum for the good guys, featuring a slew of contributions from the bottom half of the order.

Additionally, the Braves made a trade during the game, acquiring Rafael Montero and cash for a Player To Be Named Later.

Montero is in the final year of a three-year, $34.5 million contract that he signed after recording a 2.37 ERA over 71 appearances for the Astros. However, he’s been pretty dreadful ever since, boasting an unsightly 4.92 ERA since the start of the 2023 campaign, which is why the Astros are covering nearly all of the money he’s owed for the rest of the season.

It’s unlikely Montero comes in and flips a switch, but the Braves are desperate for answers in the bullpen. Expect to see a lot of moves like these throughout the season until something sticks.