Atlanta didn’t get swept but this was still a very tough three-game series for the Braves in Philly, in many ways.

The Atlanta Braves suffered one injury after another in their road series at the Philadelphia Phillies.

Backup catcher Rafael Marchán hit a two-run homer, drove in the go-ahead run when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the eighth inning and caught two runners stealing, helping the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 5-4 in in a doubleheader opener.

Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson told reporters that his team didn't retaliate against the Atlanta Braves after Spencer Strider hit Bryce Harper with a pitch Tuesday because he didn't believe it was intentional.

The Philadelphia Phillies won two of three against the Atlanta Braves to strengthen their grip on the NL East. After a turbulent few weeks to open the season, Philly has settled into a nice groove. Their division rivals, meanwhile, continue to stall. The Phillies now lead the Mets by 2.0 games and the Braves by 9.5 games.

Chris Sale became the fastest pitcher to reach 2,500 strikeouts, pitched six scoreless innings and the Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 9-3 on Thursday night to split a doubleheader.

Edmundo Sosa threw his bat to the ground in frustration, and then slammed down his helmet for good measure. He had swung through a slider in the dirt from Chris Sale to end the sixth inning, and in doing so helped the Braves lefty become the fastest pitcher in MLB history to reach 2,