ATLANTA (AP) — Marcell Ozuna homered and Reynaldo López pitched five strong innings in his return from the injured list, leading the Atlanta Braves to a 3-1 win over the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night.
In the opener of a crucial three-game series, the six-time reigning division champs pulled within six games of Philadelphia. The rivals will meet six more times over the next 12 games, a stretch that gives the depleted Braves a chance to further close the gap.
Ozuna and López provided a huge lift for Atlanta, which learned a day earlier that slugging third baseman Austin Riley will miss at least the rest of the regular season with a broken hand.