Phillips’ 2-out, 2-run HR in ninth lifts Bosox over Braves
ATLANTA » Already a three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove Award winner, Brandon Phillips learned this summer as a 37-year-old minor leaguer to relish playing baseball “until I wake up.” Added Phillips: “I’m still dreaming.” Phillips’ two-out, two-run homer in the ninth inning off A.J. Minter highlighted his long-awaited season debut on Wednesday and capped the biggest comeback by the Boston Red Sox this year for a 9-8 win over the Atlanta Braves.
“Honestly that was the most fun I’ve had all season, just watching the last few innings,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said.
Phillips took a big swing and then rocked back as he watched the ball head toward the left field seats.
“My favorite part was the lean-back that he had,” teammate Brock Holt said.
Said Minter: “I missed by an inch with the pitch and he made me pay.”
After the game Phillips stood at his locker, attempting to untangle chains left knotted when Red Sox players dumped a cooler filled with a sports drink over his head. He kept grinning even when he gave up on solving the knot.
“For us to come back like we did, that was amazing,” Phillips said.
The Red Sox overcame a late six-run deficit and seesawed past Atlanta to sweep the three-game series between division leaders.
Boston, with the best record in the majors, scored six times in the eighth to make it 7-all. After Freddie Freeman hit a solo homer with two outs in the Braves eighth, the Red Sox bounced back for their 97th win this year.
Phillips sat out the first half of this year, signed a minor league contract with Boston in late June and was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket on Tuesday. He didn’t play that night, but started at second base in the final game of the interleague set.
INDIANS 3, ROYALS 1 » Corey Kluber became the first 18-game winner in the majors this season, striking out 10 in Cleveland’s victory over Kansas City.
The Indians moved closer to the third straight AL Central title, reducing their magic number for clinching the division to nine.
METS 7, DODGERS 3 » Zack Wheeler stayed in the game after getting hit in the chest by a line drive, pitching seven sharp innings to lead New York over Los Angeles.
Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger homered for the playoff-contending Dodgers, who lost for third time in their past 12 games. Los Angeles finished with three hits.
BLUE JAYS 10, RAYS 3» Aledmys Diaz hit a three-run homer in a seven-run first inning, Aaron Sanchez won for the first time in three months and Toronto beat Tampa Bay to prevent a three-game sweep. PIRATES 3, REDS 2 » Jameson Taillon pitched five effective innings and helped send Homer Bailey to yet another loss in Pittsburgh’s victory over Cincinnati.