Braves’ bats go quiet in 2-1 loss to Phillies

PHILADELPHIA — Despite one of Bryce Elder’s best starts of the season, the Braves lost again to the NL-East leading Phillies as the bats went cold in a 2-1 loss on Friday night in Philadelphia.

The Phillies scored 19 runs on Thursday night in an embarrassing loss for the Braves. But they needed just two runs to come out on top in this one, with Ranger Suarez again stifling the Braves’ lineup with one run allowed in five innings.

Elder managed one of his best starts of an otherwise rough season, allowing just three hits and one run over seven innings of work. Jurickson’s Profar RBI single was the only run support he got, and Alec Bohm’s sacrifice fly in the eighth off Pierce Johnson was enough for the win.

Kyle Schwarber, who became the 21st player in major league history to hit four home runs in a game on Thursday, hit a one-out single in this one, went to third on Bryce Harper’s single off Dylan Lee (2-4) and scored on Bohm’s flyout to right field off Johnson.

Jhoan Duran pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his eighth save in nine chances since joining Philadelphia at the trade deadline, and 24th in 26 tries overall this season.

Orion Kerkering (7-4) tossed a scoreless eighth after Matt Strahm and David Robertson each didn’t allow a run in one inning. Suárez tied his season high with 10 hits allowed, but surrendered just one run — thanks in part to three inning-ending double plays.

A night after becoming the fourth Phillies player to go deep four times in a game, Schwarber grounded out, walked and popped out to shortstop before his eighth-inning hit. He leads the NL in homers (49) and RBIs (119) and received “M-V-P! M-V-P!” chants when introduced by PA announcer Dan Baker.