Braves second baseman Brandon Phillips is the latest player to hit second in the lineup as manager Brian Snitker seeks consistent production in front of streaking slugger Freddie Freeman .
Adonis Garcia hit second over the past three games after Dansby Swanson was moved down to No. 8 in the order. Garcia wasn’t in the lineup for the first time this season on Sunday and Phillips moved up from his usual No. 5 spot in the order to No. 2.
Snitker indicated that Phillips will continue to hit second when Garcia returns to the lineup.
“It’s something we will look at,” Snitker said before the Braves played the series finale against the Phillies. “We’ve kind of looked at (Phillips) as a guy to hit down in the middle and drive runs in. But it’s kind of a nice fit (at No. 2). Just his natural stroke is good for there and his experience. We’ll just kind of see where it goes.”
Phillips went 2-for-4 against the Phillies on Sunday but Freeman flied out both times he was on base.
Entering Sunday Phillips was hitting .333 with a .371 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage. In Saturday's game Phillips hit a go-ahead RBI double in the fourth inning and a game-tying homer in the ninth before the Phillies beat the Braves in the 10th .
Braves No. 2 hitters had a .184 OBP entering Sunday and their lead-off men had a .219 OBP. Six of Freeman’s seven home runs this season were solo shots and he had just nine RBIs in spite of hitting .400 and slugging .850. Just 19 of his 73 plate appearances came with runners on base.
Only one player since 1920 has had fewer than nine RBIs with seven homers: Gary Sheffield had eight with the Marlins in 1996. Three players since 1920 other than Freeman then had nine RBIs with seven homers: Eddie Yost (1959), Garrett Jones (2009) and Brian Dozier (2014).
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