PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Phillies manager Pete Mackanin has a new nickname for Ty Kelly. Just call him “Ty-breaker” Kelly.
Kelly singled home the winning run with two outs in the 11th inning to lift Philadelphia to a 4-3 comeback victory over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday night.
“That was fun,” Mackanin said. “A tiebreaker by Ty Kelly. I had to use that.”
Kelly doesn’t mind the moniker.
“I like it as long as I can keep on doing it,” he said.
Odubel Herrera hit a tying home run with one out in the ninth off Braves closer Jim Johnson, who blew his eighth save. Herrera finished with three hits and two RBIs.
Asked if he thought about changing his closer, Braves manager Brian Snitker said he didn’t.
“Everybody I would change to gave up a run,” Snitker said. “It’s not just him.”
The Phillies loaded the bases in the 11th against Rex Brothers (1-1), and Kelly lined the second pitch into left-center to score Tommy Joseph from third.
“I was just trying to win the game,” Kelly said. I thought about bunting because (Freddie) Freeman was back (at third) and I changed my mind. It’s really nice to capitalize.”
Hector Neris (3-4) pitched two scoreless innings of relief to earn the victory, capping six scoreless innings by Phillies relievers.
“The bullpen did a great job,” Mackanin said.
Atlanta’s Nick Markakis had three hits with two doubles to move within five hits of 2,000 for his career. The Braves have lost six of seven.
Brandon Phillips had three hits for Atlanta.
The Braves jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first thanks in part to Cesar Hernandez’s throwing error at second base. Matt Adams’ sacrifice fly and Markakis’ double scored the runs. Both were unearned after Hernandez’s throw went high over shortstop Freddy Galvis, allowing Phillips to reach second safely.
Atlanta starter Sean Newcomb didn’t allow a hit until Herrera’s two-out RBI single in the fourth that brought the Phillies to 2-1.
The Braves went back up two runs in the fifth on Tyler Flowers’ sacrifice fly to center with the bases loaded.
The Phillies got a run back in the eighth on Aaron Altherr’s RBI single that scored Hernandez. But Arodys Vizcaino struck out Nick Williams before Freeman’s excellent grab of Joseph’s liner to third that turned into a 5-4-3, inning-ending double play.
Herrera then sent the game to extra innings with a solo shot to right in the ninth off Johnson.
FOR STARTERS
Newcomb allowed one run and two hits in five innings. He was in line for his second career victory when he left.
Phillies starter Jerad Eickhoff avoided his eighth loss after giving up three runs - one earned - and five hits in five innings. He walked three and struck out three.
SCORELESS DEBUT
Phillies right-hander Jessen Therrien pitched a scoreless sixth inning of relief in his major league debut.
STRONG WIND
Both teams’ batters were hurt by a strong wind that was blowing straight in from center field on an unseasonably cool summer evening. Maikel Franco’s long drive in the second landed just in front of the wall, and Cameron Rupp’s shot to center was caught. Both fly balls would have left the park on normal nights at hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Braves: Atlanta placed OF Matt Kemp on the 10-day DL due to a strained right hamstring. Kemp was injured as he rounded first base after hitting a liner off the wall in the fourth inning of Friday night’s game against the Phillies. Atlanta recalled outfielder Lane Adams from Triple-A Gwinnett to take Kemp’s spot.
Phillies: RHP Pedro Beato left after facing two batters in the eighth. Beato, who was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley earlier Saturday, appeared to injure himself as he ran toward first base on Johan Camargo’s groundout to first baseman Tommy Joseph. . Herrera was hit in the back by a pitch in the second inning, but he remained in the game.
UP NEXT
Braves: RHP R.A. Dickey (6-7, 4.31) tries to even his record in the third game of the four-game set on Sunday afternoon.
Phillies: RHP Vince Velasquez (2-6, 5.49) takes the mound for Philadelphia.
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