Harris delivers as a pinch-hitter for the Braves, leading 5-3 win over slumping Phillies

ATLANTA (AP) — Michael Harris II delivered a two-run double as a pinch-hitter after being scratched from the starting lineup with an ailing quad, and the Atlanta Braves piled more misery on Philadelphia with a 5-3 victory Friday night that sent the Phillies to their 10th straight loss.

Despite homers from Trea Turner and Bryce Harper, the two-time reigning NL East champion Phillies dropped 10 1/2 games behind the first-place Braves with the season not even a month old. Atlanta has won nine of 10 for the best record in the majors (19-8).

Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a two-run homer for the Braves, but it was Harris who delivered the biggest hit on a night when it appeared he wouldn’t play at all.

Harris was a late scratch from the lineup as a precautionary measure after tightness in his left quad forced him to leave the previous day’s victory over Washington.

But when the Braves, trailing 3-2, put two runners aboard with two outs in the sixth against Andrew Painter (1-1), the call went to Harris as a pinch-hitter for Eli White.

After getting ahead 2-0 in the count, Harris pounced on a 96 mph fastball. The ball cleared leaping left fielder Brandon Marsh while Dominic Smith and Mauricio Dubón raced around the bases with the tying and go-ahead runs.

Harris showed no pain at ...