The Braves endured a frustrating 10-inning defeat opening day, losing to the Phillies 3-2 in Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon.
After trailing 2-0 for most of the game, pinch-hitter Pablo Sandoval reset the contest in the seventh. The pinch-hitter slugged an 0-2 pitch over the right-field wall that ended the day for Aaron Nola, who’d been at his best until that point.
The teams played to a stalemate afterward, forcing extra innings. Freddie Freeman hit a grounder that advanced placed-runner Ozzie Albies to third – remember, MLB is continuing with the new extra-inning rules adopted last season, which meant Albies, the last out of the previous inning, started the frame at second. Albies darted home on Marcell Ozuna’s shallow pop-up, but he was tagged out at the plate to end the Braves’ 10th.
Jean Segura’s two-out single scored Bryce Harper, the placed runner, in the bottom of the inning to win the game.
As for the starting pitching, Max Fried never settled in during his first opening-day start, though did an admirable job escaping tough situations. Fried needed 80 pitches to get through four innings (94 overall), and while he was far from his best, he racked up eight strikeouts – several of which helped him limit damage.
Fried, 27, allowed runs in the first and third innings. He had only one 1-2-3 inning, the second. But he persisted: Fried threw over 30 pitches in the third but held the Phillies to one run. He overcame a single and a Freeman error to get through the fourth unscathed. In the fifth, he pitched around J.T. Realmuto’s one-out double.
Nola was masterful before his mistake to Sandoval. He held the Braves scoreless for 6-2/3 innings, striking out six and not issuing a walk. The Braves also had two potential homers off Nola fall short of the wall thanks to the wind.
This was the third consecutive opening-day loss for the Braves, following other defeats to the Phillies (2019) and Mets (2020). The Braves and Phillies continue their series Saturday when Charlie Morton faces Zack Wheeler.
