The Philadelphia Phillies restored All-Star outfielder Brandon Marsh to the starting lineup Sunday as they faced the Atlanta Braves in the rubber game of their series.
Interim manager Don Mattingly had kept Marsh on the bench the previous two nights while the Braves started left-handed pitchers. Mattingly has used a platoon approach with Marsh for much of the season.
With right-hander Tyler Mahle scheduled to start for Atlanta on Sunday afternoon, Marsh returned to left field and was slotted seventh in the order.
The Phillies evened the series Saturday night with a 4-2 win at Citizens Bank Park. They entered Sunday looking for more than a split against the team they are chasing in the National League East.
Bryce Harper started in right field. J.P. Crawford drew the start in center field.
The Phillies posted this lineup: “Phillies 9/6 K. Schwarber DH T. Turner SS B. Harper RF L. Arraez 2B A. Bohm 1B B. Stott 3B B. Marsh LF J. Crawford CF G. Stubbs C A. Nola SP.”
Aaron Nola got the ball for Philadelphia. Garrett Stubbs was behind the plate.
Marsh is having the best season of his major league career. He made his first All-Star team and was named one of the nine starters for the Midsummer Classic.
He entered Sunday hitting .268 with 67 runs, 128 hits, 17 home runs and 57 RBIs in 136 games and 478 at-bats. His slugging percentage stood at .421 and his OPS at .734.
Those numbers have made him a regular in the outfield when a right-hander is on the mound. Mattingly has been consistent with the matchup-based decisions.
Philadelphia sat four games behind Atlanta in the division race with an 80-62 record. A series split would not close much ground.
The Phillies still held a comfortable position in the wild-card standings. If the regular season had ended before Sunday’s game, they would have occupied the second wild-card spot.
That cushion gives them some breathing room, but the club has made clear it wants to win the East rather than settle for a wild-card berth.
Marsh’s return added another left-handed bat against Mahle. The lineup featured several hitters who have produced against right-handed pitching this year.
Mattingly’s choices reflected the tight calendar in September. Every game against a division rival carries extra weight as the Phillies try to stay within striking distance.
The series finale offered a chance to take two of three from the first-place Braves and keep the pressure on heading into the final weeks of the schedule.
Fans at the ballpark expected to see Marsh’s familiar presence in left after two days off. His combination of power and defense has been one of the more reliable pieces in a lineup that has dealt with injuries and inconsistency at times.
The Phillies hoped the restored outfield alignment would produce enough offense to support Nola and give them a series victory before they turn to the next stretch of the schedule.
