Phillies’ 13-0 Win Over Braves Sparks Hope
Jun 27, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) celebrates with designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) after a home run against the Atlanta Braves in the second inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The Phillies must have been happy to get on the plane and get out of Texas, and who could blame them?
The team that landed in Houston was a polar opposite to the team that took the series and control of first place from the New York Mets. Against the Mets, the Phils got big clutch hits in both wins of the series, but once the team landed in Houston, the clutch hits didn’t get loaded on the plane, apparently. They were outscored 5-1, not in a game, in the whole series. The Phils scored one run in that series.
Well, that offensive malaise didn’t continue in Atlanta. After a 2 hour 19 minute rain delay, Rob Thomson decided to scratch Mick Abel from this start, electing to start Tanner Banks to start in what would surely be a bullpen game, but that wouldn’t matter too much because the Philles offense scored 13 runs in the first three innings, and cruised to a 13-0 win in Atlanta tonight
The Braves decided to pitch Bryce Elder when play resumed, and that definitely will be second-guessed, mostly because Elder had warmed up and was ready to start the game at the scheduled time, and was essentially iced for 2 hours before throwing his first official pitch. When the game started, it was quickly obvious he did not have control the second time around. He threw 31 pitches in the first, including walking in Trea Turner for the first run of the game.
The second inning looked like Elder had put it together, getting 2 quick outs, until Turner had something to say about it. Turner now has 10 home runs, all 10 have come on the road, and 9 of those 10 have been hit at night. I see a trend forming. After a short delay in the second, Elder came back, walked Kyle Schwarber, Alec Bohm hit a single, and Nick Castellanos ambushed the first pitch and hit a long 3-run homer to make the game 5-0.
In the third inning, the Phillies picked up where they left off. J.T. Realmuto singled, Bryson Stott singled, and Otto Kemp came up to launch his first career home run. The father and son who caught the ball gave it back to Otto in exchange for a meeting opportunity and likely a big haul of memorabilia.
The nightmare didn’t end there for Elder; the next batter, Brandon Marsh, doubled, Turner reached on a throwing error, scoring Marsh, making the score 9-0, and with that, the nightmare outing for Elder was over. The Phillies had one last shot at the Braves. This time, it was Schwarber launching a long home run, making it an 11-0 lead for the Phillies.
Braves manager Brian Snitker elected to save his bullpen a bit and put former Phillies player Luke Williams in to pitch the top of the 9th, and even though he hit it at midnight, technically the morning, Turner hit another home run, ending up being 4-6 with 2 home runs. The Phils tacked on another run with a double from Johan Rojas, and then Max Kepler drove him in for the 13th run of the game.
The danger of a bullpen game is that the Phillies will have to empty out the bullpen, but Alan Rangel threw 5 scoreless innings, saving the rest of the bullpen from a heavy workload. Rangel’s strong performance made the rest of the weekend easier for Topper, saving the bullpen.
One can only hope that this 13-run performance was just a catharsis for the Phils and not them emptying the tank all in one game. Tomorrow, Jesus Luzardo will take on Spencer Schwellenbach at 7:15 pm.
Use code PHILLYSPORTSREPORT for $20 off your first SeatGeek order
Click here to save 10% on any order at FOCO
Steve Hamilton
Steve may have been born in California, but don’t let that fool you. After dating a local woman and clashing with her and her family over sports for decades, he has an affinity for Philly sports. Balancing love for Philly and Bay Area sports teams may seem impossible, we can all agree that the Cowboys are the true evil.
1 thought on “Phillies’ 13-0 Win Over Braves Sparks Hope”