MLB playoffs: Bryce Harper homers, Phillies shut down Braves in Game 1 of NLDS
ATLANTA — Bryce Harper homered, Ranger Suárez and the Philadelphia bullpen stifled baseball’s most prolific offense, and the Phillies blanked the 104-win Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of their NL Division Series.
In a playoff rematch between division rivals, the East champion Braves find themselves in exactly the same position as a year ago: trailing the wild-card Phillies after the opener at Truist Park.
The Phillies went on to a 3-1 upset of the Braves in 2022 on an improbable run to the World Series. Now, they’re up again heading to Game 2 in the best-of-five series Monday night in Atlanta.
Bryson Stott broke a scoreless tie with a run-scoring single in the fourth inning. Harper padded the lead with a drive in the sixth off Spencer Strider, baseball’s only 20-game winner.
It was just the third time all year — and first since May 12 — that Atlanta failed to score. It was the first time the Braves were shut out at home all season.
The mood turned ugly in the eighth when the Phillies made it 3-0 on catcher’s interference against Sean Murphy with the bases loaded. After the call was reviewed and upheld, there was a brief delay when a handful of fans threw trash on the field.
Astros 6, Twins 4
HOUSTON (AP) — Justin Verlander pitched six shutout innings, Yordan Alvarez homered twice and the Houston Astros held on for a 6-4 win over the Minnesota Twins in their AL Division Series opener Saturday.
Jose Altuve hit a leadoff home run and Alvarez had three RBIs as the defending World Series champions won their 2023 playoff debut to earn their 10th straight victory in Game 1 of a Division Series.
Former Astros star Carlos Correa had two hits for the AL Central champion Twins, who finished 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position after going 1 for 10 in the Wild Card Series against Toronto.
Verlander settled in after a shaky start and the Astros built a 5-0 lead through six innings with big swings from Altuve and Alvarez.
Jorge Polanco and rookie Royce Lewis hit consecutive homers off Héctor Neris in the seventh to make it 5-4.
Alvarez gave Houston an insurance run in the bottom half when he became the first left-handed hitter to homer off Caleb Thielbar this season.
Bryan Abreu got four outs for the Astros, and Ryan Pressly worked a scoreless ninth for the save.
The best-of-five series continues Sunday night in Houston.
Rangers 3, Orioles 2
BALTIMORE (AP) — Andrew Heaney and Dane Dunning helped Texas reach the sixth inning with a lead, and the Rangers’ maligned bullpen held on through some anxious moments against Baltimore in Game 1 of their AL Division Series.
Josh Jung homered and made a nice play at third base to start a critical double play for Texas, which improved to 3-0 in these playoffs — all on the road.
Game 2 in the best-of-five series is Sunday at Camden Yards.
Will Smith, Josh Sborz, Aroldis Chapman and José Leclerc combined to get the final 10 outs for the Rangers — but not without some drama.
Sborz threw seven straight balls to start the seventh but pitched around a leadoff walk. Chapman worked out of trouble in the eighth. Leclerc earned the save, although he allowed a leadoff single in the ninth to Gunnar Henderson. All-Star catcher Jonah Heim threw out Henderson trying to steal second, and the Orioles didn’t manage another baserunner.
Kyle Bradish struck out nine in 4 2/3 innings for the Orioles but allowed two runs in the fourth to take the loss. Jung and Anthony Santander traded solo homers in the sixth.
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