A Kyle Schwarber homer is all Jesús Luzardo needs to beat Braves with his first career shutout
Luzardo had 12 strikeouts and pitched into the ninth inning for the first time in his career. A 415-foot solo homer by Schwarber in the eighth gave him the only run he needed to put away Atlanta.
Bullpen collapses had contributed to the Phillies’ two losses against the Braves this series. So in Monday’s finale, starter Jesús Luzardo took matters into his own hands.
The lefty tossed his first career shutout in the Phillies’ 1-0 win over the Braves to split the series. He limited Atlanta to just two hits, carving them up with his trademark sweeper.
Luzardo’s excellence gave his offense chance after chance to break through. But it took them until the eighth inning to take advantage, when Kyle Schwarber launched the winning solo homer.
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Despite racking up 12 strikeouts, Luzardo was extremely efficient, with 92 pitches through eight. When he walked back out for the ninth to thunderous applause — for the first time in his career — Meek Mill’s “Dreams and Nightmares” rang through the ballpark.
After Ha-Seong Kim flew out, Ronald Acuña Jr. drew the first walk of the game. But Luzardo bounced back by striking out Drake Baldwin looking on a sinker. A first-pitch fly out from Ozzie Albies sealed it.
Luzardo racked up 23 total swings-and-misses, including 12 on his sweeper.
The Phillies left the bases loaded in the first inning, a missed opportunity that started to loom larger as Braves starter Grant Holmes began mowing through the lineup. He retired 10 consecutive Phillies hitters, striking out the side in the third on three different pitches.
After Schwarber’s leadoff single to start the game, Holmes didn’t allow another hit until Brandon Marsh’s single in the fifth. The Phillies couldn’t advance him, and they also failed to cash in on Trea Turner’s double in the sixth.
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With two outs in the eighth, Atlanta manager Walt Weiss had a left-hander up in the Braves bullpen, but opted to leave righty Didier Fuentes in to face Schwarber. Fuentes had been carving up the Phillies since relieving Holmes in the seventh, but he made one mistake against the wrong hitter.
Schwarber powered a middle-middle fastball 415 feet to the second deck in right field to break the scoreless tie and finally put Luzardo in position for the win.
With the minor league season winding down, Phillies farm director Luke Murton returns to Phillies Extra to discuss the state of the system and upcoming changes to his role. He also offers an encouraging update on injured top prospect Aidan Miller. Watch here.
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