Dickerson homers twice as Phils edge Braves

Corey Dickerson homered twice and knocked in three runs to lift the host Philadelphia Phillies past the Atlanta Braves 6-5 on Tuesday.

J.T. Realmuto and Bryce Harper each added a home run and Scott Kingery also contributed an inside-the-park homer. Harper had a pair of hits as the Phillies attempted to stay in contention for the second wild card. They began the night three games behind the Chicago Cubs.

Phillies starter Jason Vargas lasted only three innings. He allowed six hits and four runs, two earned. Vargas walked three and struck out three while throwing 77 pitches, only 39 for strikes.

Blake Parker (3-2) earned the win in relief, while Hector Neris earned his 25th save with a scoreless ninth inning as the Phillies improved to 75-69.

Johan Camargo homered and doubled, while Freddie Freeman and Ronald Acuna Jr. ripped three hits each for the Braves, who fell to 90-56.

Braves starter Max Fried gave up seven hits and five runs in five innings. Fried (16-5) allowed four homers, struck out five and walked one.

The Phillies struck for four runs in the first inning highlighted by back-to-back solo home runs from Realmuto and Harper.

Harper's blast went an estimated 443 feet to right-center field.

Dickerson added a two-run homer later in the first for a 4-0 advantage.

The Braves tied the game with four runs, two unearned, in the third as they sent nine batters to the plate. Freeman and Dansby Swanson each had an RBI single. A ground ball by Francisco Cervelli drove in the third run, and Austin Riley's sacrifice fly brought in the fourth.

In the bottom of the third, Kingery rapped his first career inside-the-park homer as Acuna jumped over the fence in center and nearly caught the ball. But after the ball bounced away, Kingery scampered all the way home for a 5-4 Phillies lead.

Dickerson's second homer of the game, this time a solo shot in the sixth, pushed the Phillies ahead 6-4. It was the 10th career multi-home run game for Dickerson.

Camargo homered off Jared Hughes in the eighth to slice the Philadelphia lead to 6-5.

--Field Level Media