Braves rally in 8th to topple Phillies

PHILADELPHIA — Matt Olson doubled three times, including a basesloaded drive in a seven-run eighth inning that rallied the NL East champion Atlanta Braves past the Philadelphia Phillies 9-3 in Friday’s season opener.

Michael Harris II had three hits and snapped an eighth-inning tie with an RBI single off José Alvarado (0-1) that made it 3-2 and ignited a breakout inning. Alvarado allowed five runs and Connor Brogdon gave up two.

Pierce Johnson (1-0) tossed a scoreless seventh to earn the win for Atlanta in a game delayed a day by rain.

Brandon Marsh hit a two-run homer for the Phillies.

Yankees-pirates trade: New York acquired righthander JT Brubaker and international bonus pool allotment from Pittsburgh for a player to be named.

Brubaker, Pittsburgh’s opening-day starter in 2022, missed last season after Tommy John surgery on April 12 with Dr. Keith Meister. Brubaker agreed in January

to a one-year deal for $2,275,000 and was put on the 60-day injured list on Feb. 19.

Brubaker, 30, went 3-12 with a 4.69 ERA in 28 appearances with the Pirates in 2022. He set career highs with 28 starts, 144 innings and 147 strikeouts. International players: The percentage of Major League Baseball players born outside the 50 states dipped slightly to 27.8%, its lowest level since 2016.

There were 264 players from 19 nations and territories outside of the 50 states among 949 players on opening day active rosters and injured, restricted and inactive lists, the commissioner’s office said Friday.

The percentage was down from 28.5% last year and the lowest since 27.5% in 2016. It has remained in the 26-29.8% range since 2002, peaking in 2017.

The total international players was the fourthhighest behind 291 in 2020 (when there were expanded 30-man active rosters), 275 in 2022 (when there were expanded 28-man active rosters) and last year (270).