Marcell Ozuna hits walk-off two-run homer as Braves beat Phillies, 4-2, in rain delayed extra-inning game

Lochlahn March, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Apr 11, 2025

Published in Baseball

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ATLANTA — Five hours and 38 minutes separated first pitch on Thursday and Marcell Ozuna’s walk-off home run in the wee hours of Friday morning during the Philadelphia Phillies’ 4-2 loss to the Braves.

Despite road games awaiting both teams Friday evening, they waited out a 2 hour, 45 minute rain delay between the sixth and seventh innings as heavy rains and lightning moved into the region. Once play resumed, however, three innings weren’t enough to settle things.

Johan Rojas drew a bases-loaded walk in the top of the 11th inning to break a 1-1 stalemate that had lasted since the third inning. But Joe Ross allowed a double to Austin Riley to score the ghost runner to tie things back up, before Ozuna barreled up a slider for the win.

After allowing a first inning run, Phillies starter Jesús Luzardo held the Braves off the board until the rain rolled in. The left-hander fanned six, bringing his season strikeout total to 25 and putting him in a four-way tie with teammate Zack Wheeler, Washington Nationals’ MacKenzie Gore, and Seattle Mariners’ Logan Gilbert for the MLB lead.

Four of those strikeouts on came on the sweeper Luzardo added to his arsenal this spring.

He fought back from trouble in the third inning. Luzardo allowed three straight singles — though he erased one runner by picking off Ozzie Albies at first — and then Matt Olson worked a 14-pitch at-bat. Luzardo won the battle and ended the inning by inducing a double play groundout with a sinker.

Braves starter Spencer Schwellenbach entered the game with a spotless ERA after two starts, but Kyle Schwarber spoiled that with one swing of the bat. Schwarber sent his sixth home run of the year 429 feet to straightaway center, tying the game at 1-1 in the third. It was the last run for either team until the 11th inning.

Alec Bohm, dropped to seventh in the order for the first time since 2023, continued to slump, going 0-for-5. In his first three at-bats, he came up to the plate with at least one runner on and hit into the final out of the inning. After the delay, Bohm worked a 3-1 count from Braves closer Rasiel Iglesias in the ninth, but flew out to deep center field. He clocked an exit velocity of 99.6 mph.

Until the two hits allowed by Ross, the Phillies’ bullpen was lights-out after the break. They turned to reliever Carlos Hernández in the seventh, who had not made an appearance since March 29. Hernández, who the Phillies claimed off waivers from the Kansas City Royals, stranded two runners in a scoreless inning, touching 99.2 mph with his fastball.

Jordan Romano pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning, and showed encouraging signs with his fastball velocity. His four-seam sat 95.9 mph, up from his season average of 94.6 mph. Matt Strahm and Tanner Banks pitched a scoreless ninth and tenth, respectively.