Braves crush Phillies thanks to 8-run fourth inning

An eight-run barrage in the fourth inning allowed the Braves to enjoy an easy 12-2 win — for once — over the Phillies at Truist Park on Saturday.

After winning 6-5 in 11 innings Saturday, and after the previous four games before that between the two sides were decided by a total of seven runs, the Braves won a laugher on this night thanks to the big inning. It shrunk their magic number to win the National League to seven games with 13 games to play.

The Braves (88-61) sent 12 batters to the plate in the decisive fourth, scoring on six hits, a walk and an error. Ronald Acuña Jr., Drake Baldwin and Mauricio Dubón combined for six RBIs. Seven of the eight runs came with two outs.

Saturday’s fourth inning tied a season-high for the Braves. They scored eight runs in the fifth inning of a 17-2 win over the Diamondbacks in Phoenix on April 2.

Acuña poked a pin in the dam with his one-out, fourth-inning homer that tied the game at 1-1. Acuña’s 17th long ball of the season was skied 353 feet to left and landed in the Phillies’ bullpen — and runs came flooding in after that.

With runners on the corners and two outs later in the inning, Phillies reliever Grant Holman was summoned to face Mauricio Dubón. Harris stole second before Dubón rolled a two-run single into left, making it 3-1. It was Dubón’s 31st and 32nd RBIs this season when batting with two outs and runners in scoring position.

After Austin Riley ripped a single to left, Sean Murphy hit a routine chopper to Bryson Stott at third — but Stott couldn’t decide whether to throw to second or first, and his hurried toss across the diamond skipped in the dirt, allowing Dubón to score from second.

Ha-Seong Kim walked to load the bases, Riley scored on a wild pitch, Baldwin cranked a two-run double to the gap in right, making it 7-1, and Acuña shot an RBI single to center for good measure.

All those runs were plenty for Braves’ right-hander Tyler Mahle (6-10), who went seven innings and scattered six hits with no walks. In seven starts with the Braves, since being acquired via trade from the Giants, Mahle has a 1.25 ERA.

Ozzie Albies’ sacrifice fly to center field — his 14th sac fly of the season — extended the Braves’ lead to 9-1 in the sixth.

Tim Mayza started the game on the mound for the Phillies after scheduled starter Jesús Luzardo was scratched before the contest. Mayza threw three scoreless innings, getting inning-ending double plays in the first and second and striking out the side in the third.

The Phillies waved the white flag in the late innings by sending catcher Garrett Stubbs to the mound. Harris, in the eighth, hit a three-run homer off the pole in right field.

Bryce Harper had put the Phillies up 1-0 in the first inning, belting a two-out, two-strike home run to center field. It was Harper’s 28th homer of the season and 48th all-time against the Braves.