Freddie Freeman Homers, Extends Streak As Braves Rally From Down 6 To Top Phillies 7-6

Freddie Freeman smacked his career-high 33rd homer and extended his career-best hitting streak to 29 games to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 7-6 home victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night, in the opening of their final homestand at Turner Field.

Freddie Freeman Homers, Extends Streak As Braves Rally From Down 6 To Top Phillies 7-6

The game was delayed twice by rain for a total of 2 hours, 24 minutes. The Braves overcame a six-run deficit for its fifth consecutive victory over the Phillies, and their eighth win in nine games.

“I think the rain delay kind of helped; everybody got re-grouped,” Freeman said. “Things are going through, and I’m hitting pitches I was missing early in the season.”

Tyler Flowers delivered a double in the decisive eighth inning, which ended when Mallex Smith and Emilio Bonifacio recorded consecutive two-out singles off David Hernandez. Flowers also capped Atlanta’s four-run sixth inning with a three-run homer that cut the Braves’ deficit to 6-5, and that traveled a projected 417 feet with a 107 mph exit velocity, per Statcast™.

“I’m just happy to be here and find a way to contribute,” said Smith, who had two hits while making his first start since fracturing his thumb on June 19. “I can’t say that any more genuinely than I did right there.”

Phillies starter Jerad Eickhoff retired each of the first 11 batters he faced before Freeman’s big two-out homer in the seventh inning. Eickhoff and Julio Teheran, who gave up six earned runs and 10 hits in just four innings, did not return following one of the two rain delays, which began before the start of the fifth inning.

Roman Quinn stole third base and scored on an errant throw by Flowers to push the Phillies’ lead to 5-0 in the top of the second. However, after Teheran left, the Braves won the game after their bullpen delivered five scoreless innings.

Mauricio Cabrera (4-1) got the win for Atlanta, and Jim Johnson earned his 18th save.

In the first inning, Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard hit a grand slam, the 15th of his career, which moved him into a tie with Ken Griffey Jr. and Richie Sexson for 13th place on the all-time list. The homer also moved Howard into a tie with Albert Belle for 69th place on the all-time home run list. Both hit 381 home runs.

“I savor every home run, period,” said Howard, who said he is not getting wistful thinking about his potential final week with the Phillies. “You guys are looking at it the way you guys are looking at it. I just really stay in the moment. I don’t really try to focus on any of that stuff.”

Freeman’s 29-game hitting streak ties him with Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. for the longest recorded in the Majors this season. Freeman, a first baseman, would have an opportunity to match Dan Uggla’s Atlanta record 33-game hitting streak on Saturday. His solo shot off Eickhoff also pushed his on-base streak to 45 games, which also happens to be MLB’s longest active streak.

The Phillies’ bullpen has an 8.03 ERA (69 earned runs in 77 ⅓ innings) this month, which included six runs in five innings against the Braves. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin planned to bring in Hector Neris to close in the ninth.

“But, at some point, somebody else has to do a … job,” Mackanin said. “Somebody else has to … step up. In two games now, every reliever I brought in has given up a … run. That’s unheard of.”

The Braves scored a pair of runs off Severino Gonzalez and two more off Luis Garcia in the sixth on an RBI single by Nick Markakis and a three-run homer by Flowers to draw within 6-5.

“It’s true to form with what they’ve been doing,” Atlanta interim manager Brian Snitker said. “You don’t feel good down six, but I felt good with all the at-bats we had left.”

The two teams will face off for the second game of their three-game series at Turner Field on Wednesday night. Phillies (70-87, 4th in NL East) lefty Adam Morgan will make his final start of the season, while right-hander Mike Foltynewicz will take the mound for the Braves (64-92, 5th in NL East).

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 19: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Atlanta Braves follows through on a third inning home run against the New York Mets at Citi Field on September 19, 2016 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)