Sunday, September 24, 2017 01:35 PM (ET)

Pivetta pitches Phillies to shutout of Braves

The Sports Xchange
Sep 24, 2017

ATLANTA -- Nick Pivetta threw six scoreless innings and combined with three relievers on a shutout as the Philadelphia Phillies blanked the Atlanta Braves 2-0 on Sunday.

Pivetta (7-10) turned in his longest outing since pitching seven scoreless frames June 15 against the Boston Red Sox. He allowed five hits, struck out four and walked one.

Edubray Ramos, Adam Morgan and Hector Neris each pitched a scoreless inning to give the Phillies their sixth shutout of the season.

Neris worked around two hits in the ninth inning, striking out three. He fanned pinch-hitter Matt Adams to finish the game to earn his 24th save and 18th in a row.

Atlanta's Luiz Gohara (1-3), a rookie left-hander, pitched seven innings for the first time and allowed one run on five hits and two walks. He struck out a career-high nine.

The Phillies broke through for a run in the fifth when Maikel Franco hit a solo homer into the second deck in left field.

It was Franco's 21st homer and his first since Sept. 9. It gave him 70 RBIs, the first Phillies player to reach that plateau this season.

The Phillies added a run in the eighth off reliever A.J. Minter. Cesar Hernandez, who reached on a fielder's choice, scored when Aaron Altherr ended an 0-for-13 skid with a double in the left-field corner.

The Phillies ran themselves out of opportunities twice in the first three innings.

Hernandez led off the game with a single, but was thrown out at second by right fielder Nick Markakis while trying to stretch it into a double. Jorge Alfaro singled to right and was thrown out trying to take second by Markakis in the third inning. Markakis has four assists, one fewer than a year ago.

Pivetta got help from his defense.

Alfaro threw out Ender Inciarte to completed a strike out-throw out double play in the first inning and the Phillies turned a double play in the third to erase a leadoff single.

Atlanta was shut out for the 10th time this season.

NOTES: Philadelphia 2B Cesar Hernandez was back in the lineup Sunday after sitting out Saturday's game. ... Atlanta 1B Freddie Freeman returned Sunday after missing Saturday's game with a stomach virus. ... Atlanta CF Ender Inciarte had three hits on Sunday, giving him 197, He's trying to become the first Brave since 2006 to reach 200 in a season. ... The Braves finished the season 38-43 in their first season at SunTrust Park. The team went 50-31 in their first season at Turner Field and 43-38 in their first season at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.
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