'That's ... the expectation': Braves dominate Phils to claim series

ATLANTA -- After committing three errors and giving up 15 hits in Friday’s loss to open up a big series against the Phillies at Truist Park, the Braves looked like a different team the rest of the weekend.

Atlanta’s pitching staff allowed just one run over the final 20 innings of the set and the Braves hit nine home runs overall -- including four in a 6-0 win on Sunday afternoon -- to earn a series victory and gain a game on the NL East leaders. The Braves (49-39) are now eight games behind the division-leading Phillies (58-32) after outscoring them 17-7 this weekend.

“It was a good series,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “We started it out and wanted to win each day. One got away from us. It was a pretty good bounceback the last couple of days.”

Reynaldo López improved to 7-2 with a strong outing of six scoreless innings in which he allowed two hits and three walks while striking out six. López lowered his ERA to an MLB-leading 1.71.

A five-pitch first inning set the tone for López’s start.

“Thankfully, everything sort of worked out today,” López said via interpreter Franco García. “It felt like my pitches were working, which is good. We hit the goal, which was to get to at least six innings, which obviously, my last two outings, I wasn’t able to do.”

It was a short afternoon at the office for Phillies starting pitcher Michael Mercado, a rookie making his second MLB start. The righty escaped a first-inning mess in which he walked three batters, but Mercado had no such luck in the second inning, when he allowed five runs on three big flies before being removed with two outs.

Adam Duvall started the party with a solo home run, then Orlando Arcia and Eli White singled to set the table for Jarred Kelenic's three-run homer. Matt Olson capped the inning’s scoring with a solo shot.

All three home runs went more than 400 feet and traveled a combined distance of 1,259 feet.

“He was struggling a little bit to find the zone,” Olson said. “Kelenic put a big swing on one. [Duvall] was able to get things going a little bit when [Mercado] was in the zone. We were able to be a little selective when he was wild early. It was a good inning.”

Mercado, who entered with a 1.50 ERA, allowed five runs on five hits with three walks and one strikeout in 1 2/3 innings. His ERA inflated to 7.04.

The Braves provided their starters with early run support on both Saturday and Sunday. Atlanta's five-spot in the second inning on Sunday came after it provided Spencer Schwellenbach with three runs in the first inning on Saturday.

“It definitely helps [to have an early lead],” López said. “I feel like it removes some of the stress in the outing and it allows me the opportunity to not be so fine working around the zone. Once I got that [five]-run cushion, I told myself, 'It’s time to start attacking and living in the middle of the zone.'"

Duvall went 3-for-4 with a double, a single and his aforementioned home run. His seventh home run of the season was his first off a right-handed pitcher.

“He’s swinging that bat pretty good,” Snitker said. “He’s having good passes at the ball, [hitting] breaking stuff [and] everything. It’s good to see because I know he’s been working really hard. When you got a guy like that, if you can get him hot, he can do a lot of damage.”

White added a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth.

Although Max Fried was roughed up for five runs on 11 hits on Friday, Atlanta’s pitching staff -- namely the bullpen -- was lights-out against Philadelphia.

The Braves' bullpen covered nine innings and allowed three runs (one earned) with 12 strikeouts and only one walk.

“The bullpen continues to be really solid, all of them,” Snitker said.

The Braves have won four of six games against the Phillies this season.

“It definitely feels good,” López said about winning the series. “I wasn’t part of the team last year, but I watched the postseason and I know what happened. It feels good to win the two series so far. That’s sort of the expectation -- if we have a rematch, take that series as well.”