Herrera hits 2 HRs, Nola goes 7, Phils beat Braves 7-3
PHILADELPHIA » Odubel Herrera hit two homers, Jorge Alfaro also went deep and Aaron Nola pitched seven innings to help the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 7-3 Friday night.
Braves right-hander Julio Teheran left after three innings because of tightness in his right upper trapezius. There was no word on the extent of his injury.
Nola (3-1) settled in nicely after allowing three runs in the first. He didn’t give up another run and surrendered seven hits.
Herrera lined a three-run homer to right in the first to tie it at 3-3. His solo shot off Max Fried (0-2) gave the Phillies a 4-3 lead in the sixth. Herrera had never hit more than one homer in a game in the majors.
Alfaro drove a two-run shot out to center in the seventh off Chase Whitley, who made his first big league appearance this year after he was brought up from the minors Friday. Alfaro added an RBI single in the eighth and with three hits raised his average from .163 to .208.
Freddie Freeman got the Braves started with an RBI single. Nola almost worked out of a first-and-third, noout jam by retiring Nick Markakis and Kurt Suzuki on pop-ups. But Ozzie Albies stole home on a double steal with Freeman beating the throw to second base. Ronald Acuna Jr. followed with an RBI double for the third run.
Acuna’s hit had 111.8 mph exit velocity, the hardest-hit ball by Braves this season, according to Statcast.
Teheran didn’t allow a hit in the next two innings before coming out.
The Phillies are off to a 16-9 start, their best mark after 25 games since going 17-8 to begin the 2011 season. A win Saturday would put them eight games over .500 for the first time since finishing the 2011 season with a franchise-best 102 wins. GLOVE WORK » Acuna robbed Herrera of extra bases with a diving, backhanded catch on a sinking liner to left. TRAINER’S ROOM » Braves: C Tyler Flowers was reinstated from the 10-day disabled list and C Carlos Perez was designated for assignment. The team also recalled Whitley from Triple-A Gwinnett and RHP Matt Wisler was optioned.
Phillies: RHP Ben Lively was placed on the 10-day DL because of a strained lower back. Righty Jake Thompson was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. UP NEXT » RHP Mike Foltynewicz (1-1, 2.77 ERA) starts for the Braves on Saturday while RHP Nick Pivetta (1-0, 2.57 ERA) goes for Philadelphia. Foltynewicz is 3-2, 4.02 in nine appearances against the Phillies. Pivetta is 3-0, 2.77 in five starts vs. Atlanta.