Phillies win against the Braves thanks to Bryson Stott’s late home run

Bryson Stott pointed to the bullpen, as is the Phillies’ custom when one of them hits a home run. But he might as well have pointed to the owners’ box. Or the general manager’s suite.

A week from the trade deadline, it’s their turn to step up.

Dave Dombrowski said as much Monday. A few hours before Stott’s big swing -- a three-run homer in the eighth inning of a come-from-behind 6-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves -- the Phillies president of baseball operations sat in the dugout at Citizens Bank Park and said he’s looking to add to the roster, within reason, before 6 p.m. next Tuesday.

» READ MORE: Phillies’ trade deadline plans: In on starting pitching, out on dealing top prospects and likely Juan Soto

The players, meanwhile, are trying to prove they’re worth it. They were four outs from a fourth straight loss since the All-Star break before Stott went deep against lethal-to-lefties Braves reliever A.J. Minter.

And with that, the rookie infielder reminded everyone among the 25,452 at Citizens Bank Park that the Phillies are in the thick of the wild-card race, a half-game behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the final National League playoff spot.

“It’s huge,” said Stott, the first left-handed hitter to go deep against Minter since Corey Dickerson in 2019 and the first Phillies rookie with five RBIs in a game since Rhys Hoskins in 2017. “After losing three to the Cubs, being able to come back today and pull that one out, hopefully that gives us some momentum to keep going.”

The only question, it seems, for Dombrowski is how to prioritize the team’s needs. There aren’t any wrong answers.

Zach Eflin is out indefinitely with another knee injury, so the Phillies can use another starting pitcher. But the offense has struggled over the last few weeks without Bryce Harper and Jean Segura. An extra hitter could help, too.

Stott’s shot turned around what had otherwise been another frustrating night for the Phillies’ hitters. They dinked and dunked Braves ace Max Fried for nine hits in six innings but scored only three runs. They were 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position when Stott stepped to the plate with two out in the eighth inning.

To that point, the Phillies’ biggest hit came off the bat so softly that it didn’t even register an exit velocity on Statcast. Stott topped a ball with so much English that it hit the ground in front of Braves first baseman Matt Olson and spun away into right field for a two-run double in the second inning.

“It’s a huge win altogether,” interim manager Rob Thomson said. “Just because of the way we started the second half, the way we started this game tonight.”

Since Segura broke his right index finger, Stott has started 40 of 45 games, mostly at second base or shortstop. Entering Monday night, he was batting .226 with a .701 on-base plus slugging in that span. But the Phillies have been impressed with his approach at the plate.

“His numbers are not indicative of his at-bats,” Thomson said. “Early in the year, he put a little too much pressure on himself. He went down [to triple A], just relaxed a little bit, worked on his swing, and the next time he came up, he’s a different guy. He really is. He can really hit.”

Stott worked the count full against Minter, then lined a cutter to the right-center field bleachers. He noted that Minter had been pitching him away for most of the at-bat. He sat middle-in and got a pitch that he was able to drive.

» READ MORE: Bryce Harper's thumb ‘healing good,’ to be re-evaluated again next Monday

Segura will begin a minor league assignment Tuesday at triple A. He could rejoin the Phillies by next week, at which point Thomson will have to figure a way to keep getting playing time for Stott. It may come at the expense of veteran shortstop Didi Gregorius.

Decisions like that may compel Dombrowski to look for starting pitching before focusing on another bat. The Phillies are 13-11 without Harper because they have been getting just enough offensively. Very often, it has been young players -- Stott, Alec Bohm, Darick Hall, and Matt Vierling -- who have led the way.

“It feels good just to contribute to winning,” Stott said. “Playing good and feeling comfortable is always a help. To kind of get in this little groove and feel good going to the plate and coming to the park everyday has been awesome.”

With lefty sinkerballer Ranger Suárez on the mound, it made sense for Thomson to put surehanded Johan Camargo at third base.

It just didn’t work out.

Camargo got charged with a two-base error that enabled the first two Braves runs to score in the second inning. He charged a two-out slow roller, and perhaps thinking he had to rush to get speedy Michael Harris II, sidearmed it wide of first baseman Hoskins, who was unable to knock it down.

But Camargo redeemed himself in the fifth inning by snaring a hot shot down the line and starting an around-the-horn double play.

» READ MORE: Disastrous weekend leaves Phillies looking to the future at the MLB trade deadline

Suárez gave up three unearned runs -- two on Camargo’s misplay, one on an ensuing wild pitch -- in five innings before exiting after 78 pitches.

The Phillies are building Suárez back up to a full workload after he missed two weeks earlier in the month with back spasms. He threw 64 pitches in five innings in his return July 16 in Miami.