Ronald Acuña Jr. delivered the decisive blow Sunday, September 6, 2026, as the Atlanta Braves erased a three-run deficit and walked out of Philadelphia with a 5-4 victory over the Phillies. Acuña went 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI, single-handedly turning a losing effort into a division road win. Dylan Lee earned the win out of the bullpen, and Raisel Iglesias closed it out for the save. The Braves overcame the three-run hole in nine innings of play to take this division matchup.

Acuña Powers the Comeback Against Philadelphia

Aaron Nola was locked in for the Phillies, holding Atlanta to one earned run across seven innings on four hits, one walk, and five strikeouts. The Braves were in a hole heading into the late innings, and Philadelphia looked comfortable with the lead. Then reliever Alex McFarlane came on and things unraveled quickly for the Phillies bullpen. McFarlane recorded just one out while surrendering three hits and three earned runs in one-third of an inning — the crack in the door the Braves needed.

Acuña's homer was the centerpiece of that comeback. He finished 2-for-3 with four RBI, and his production in a three-at-bat game made the difference on the road against a division opponent. Mauricio Dubón went 2-for-4 to support the effort, and catcher Drake Baldwin added a 2-for-5 night to keep rallies alive.

Braves Pitching Holds Philadelphia Late

Tyler Mahle gave Atlanta a strong foundation, working six shutout innings and allowing four hits with three strikeouts and one walk. The Phillies could not solve him through six, but Dylan Dodd ran into trouble in his inning of work, giving up two hits and two earned runs to let Philadelphia back within reach after the Braves had taken the lead.

That set the stage for Dylan Lee, who delivered a clean inning — one strikeout, no hits, no runs — to earn the victory. Raisel Iglesias then handled the ninth, allowing one hit while striking out one to secure the 5-4 final and deny Jhoan Duran, who took the loss after allowing two hits and one earned run in his inning of work.

Key Performers at a Glance

  • Ronald Acuña Jr. (ATL): 2-for-3, 1 HR, 4 RBI
  • Drake Baldwin (ATL): 2-for-5
  • Mauricio Dubón (ATL): 2-for-4
  • Tyler Mahle (ATL): 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 K, 1 BB
  • Dylan Lee (ATL): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 K — Win
  • Raisel Iglesias (ATL): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 K — Save
  • Kyle Schwarber (PHI): 1-for-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI
  • Aaron Nola (PHI): 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 5 K, 1 BB
  • Alex McFarlane (PHI): 0.1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER — Turning point

Turning Point: McFarlane's Third of an Inning

The game shifted the moment McFarlane entered. Three hits and three earned runs in one out defined the entire outcome. Philadelphia's bullpen had the lead; McFarlane gave it back in a flash. Brooks Raley followed with two-thirds of a scoreless inning to stop the bleeding, but the damage was done. Jhoan Duran then gave up the go-ahead run in the ninth, leaving the Phillies unable to answer Acuña's performance.

What's Next for Atlanta

The Braves take this division road win and continue their regular season schedule. Atlanta demonstrated it can manufacture a comeback against a quality division opponent, with Acuña leading the charge and the back end of the bullpen locking it down when it mattered most.