Braves Go Four Up, Astros Three Clear After Thursday's Day Games

Thursday's three day games left both contested division leaders in better shape. Atlanta beat Tampa Bay 3-1, Houston beat Philadelphia 2-1, and Seattle beat Texas 4-3. The Braves now lead the Phillies by four in the NL East and the Astros lead the Rangers by three in the AL West, each with 15 games to play.

The NL East matters more nationally because its loser is not going home. Philadelphia, at 82-65, still holds the NL's top wild-card spot, though its lead over the Cubs is down to one game.

The Phillies open a three-game series in Atlanta on Friday, Aaron Nola against Chris Sale, and Thursday turned that trip from a chance to close the gap into a chance to keep it from growing.

Atlanta did almost nothing for seven innings and won anyway. Nick Martinez held the Braves to two hits over 6 1/3 scoreless innings, and Martín Pérez matched him with seven shutout innings on four hits, escaping a bases-loaded first with a double play.

The game turned against Kevin Kelly in the eighth. Pinch-hitter Ozzie Albies hit a one-out triple off the right-field wall and scored on Austin Riley's single, Mike Yastrzemski followed with a ground-rule double, and Ha-Seong Kim singled to center for two more runs.

Didier Fuentes (6-2) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win and Kelly (6-4) took the loss. Raisel Iglesias gave up a solo homer to Victor Mesa Jr. before finishing his 32nd save. The Rays, at 87-59, lost a chance to clinch at least a wild card. Atlanta, at 86-61, ended a three-game losing streak.

In Philadelphia, Zack Wheeler pitched seven innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts and got nothing for it. Houston led 1-0 on Taylor Trammell's two-out double in the second, Bryson Stott's run-scoring groundout tied it in the fifth, and it stayed 1-1 until the ninth.

Cam Smith hit a first-pitch splitter from Jhoan Duran 421 feet to center, his 20th homer and his third in three games of the series. Cristian Javier had given the Astros six innings of three-hit, one-run ball, and Bennett Sousa, Bryan Abreu (6-3) and Josh Hader each pitched a perfect inning behind him.

Houston retired the last 12 Phillies, with Hader needing eight pitches to get Edmundo Sosa, Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner for his 25th save in 25 chances. Duran (2-6) took the loss.

Seattle's win cost Texas more than a game. Jacob deGrom retired the first 15 Mariners and struck out 12 over six one-hit innings, his most since 2022, then left at 92 pitches with groin tightness the Rangers said began in the fourth.

Texas led 3-0 on Joc Pederson's two-run homer in the third and Nicky Lopez's bunt single in the fifth.

Jakob Junis opened the seventh and never got an out. He hit Randy Arozarena, gave up an RBI single to Dominic Canzone and a single to Cal Raleigh, then threw a first-pitch sinker that Julio Rodríguez hit 410 feet over the Texas bullpen for a three-run homer and a 4-3 lead.

"For it to fall apart in one inning like that, and for it to be your fault, it sucks," Junis said. Logan Gilbert (12-9) struck out 11 in seven innings for the win and Andrés Muñoz got his 27th save. Seattle struck out 16 times and still won.

Texas dropped to 72-75, three behind Houston at 75-72 and two games out of an AL wild-card spot on a day Toronto and Cleveland were idle. The Rangers have not won a road series since before the All-Star break. The White Sox, whose AL Central race this site covered Wednesday, were playing Pittsburgh on Thursday night.

The Phillies get their first chance to take some of Thursday back on Friday in Atlanta, where the Braves hand the ball to Sale.