Phillies miss out on the sweep as Braves steal one late

The Phillies were three outs away from finishing off a four-game sweep of the Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Instead, José Alvarado left a 98-mph sinker over the plate and Atlanta rookie Drake Baldwin launched it into the seats for a ninth-inning, two-run homer that gave the Braves a 3-1 win Sunday night.

Philadelphia still walks away with the series win and a six-game cushion over the Mets in the NL East heading into September, but this one stings.

Phillies NL East Standings

Jesús Luzardo is FIRED up tonight 😤 pic.twitter.com/tLjv3iYUD9

— MLB (@MLB) September 1, 2025

Jesus Luzardo Shines, Bats Stay Quiet

Jesús Luzardo gave the Phillies everything they needed. The lefty threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up just two hits with seven strikeouts. He absolutely deserved a win — but the offense never showed up.

Jesús Luzardo deposited 7 K at The Bank tonight 🔥 pic.twitter.com/RwsiXQiVbV

— MLB (@MLB) September 1, 2025

Jesus Luzardo last 7 starts.

41.2 IP | 2.62 ERA | 46 K | 9 BB

The lone bright spot at the plate was Brandon Marsh, who homered to right in the fifth for the Phillies’ only run of the night. That was it.

Mashed by Marsh pic.twitter.com/H90cKnOtel

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 1, 2025

Atlanta tied things in the eighth on a Matt Olson RBI groundout before Baldwin’s bomb sealed it in the ninth.

The Rookie Problem

As if losing late wasn’t enough, the Phillies once again got a front-row look at Atlanta’s rookie factory. Hurston Waldrep struck out nine over 5 2/3 innings, allowing just one run. Since getting called up Aug. 2, the 23-year-old has a 1.01 ERA in six outings. That’s a scary development for a Braves team that desperately needed pitching help.

What’s Next

The Phillies still took three of four from Atlanta, which is exactly what they needed after that disaster series in New York earlier in the week. They sit at 79-58 with 25 games to play.

Now it’s off to Milwaukee, where Taijuan Walker (4-7, 3.63 ERA) will get the ball Monday afternoon against Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski (4-2, 4.33 ERA).

Join The Chase