Game 8 - 1971 Dell Today's Team Stamps #12 Jim Bunning

Braves 5, Phillies 4
Game 8 - Saturday Night, April 10th in Atlanta
Record - 5-3, 1st Place, 1 game ahead of the Braves

One Sentence Summary:  The Phillies let this game slip away, losing 5-4, thanks in part to a poorly executed play in the seventh in which the eventual winning run scored on a ground ball back to the pitcher.

What It Means:  The team will try to avoid the sweep tonight while featured as ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball game.

What Happened:  With the score tied 4-4, Archie Bradley relieved Zach Eflin to start the seventh and allowed a pinch-hit double to Ehire Adrianza and a single to Ronald Acuna, Jr.  Jose Alvarado relieved Bradley and when Freddie Freeman bounced a grounder back to Alvarado, the pitcher wheeled to throw to second, where no one was covering, and then threw home too late to get Adrianza.  The Braves had a 5-4 lead and would go on to win the game.

The Phillies had tied the game in the fifth on Andrew McCutchen's home run and then taken a brief lead in the sixth on Bryce Harper's home run.  Both marked firsts for the year for McCutchen and Harper.  Eflin allowed three quick first inning runs to the Braves and then settled in to pitch well through the fifth.  The Braves tied the score in the sixth when Dansby Swanson doubled home Marcell Ozuna.

Featured Card:  Again, nothing great to feature from this game, but the Phillies celebrated an important anniversary in their history yesterday.  It was 50 years ago yesterday, on April 10, 1971, Veterans Stadium first opened with Jim Bunning throwing a pitch to Expos' center fielder Boots Day.  I've uploaded the team's 1971 highlight film here on YouTube, and thanks to fellow collector Steve F. for sending the video to me several years ago.

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