Shut ‘em down…

Philadelphia Phillies' J.T. Realmuto plays during a baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) After a heartbreaking loss on Sunday, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jesus Luzardo picked the team up and gave the team's relievers a much-needed break. By Chris Murray For the Philadelphia Sunday SUN Nearly 24 hours after the Philadelphia Phillies blew a three-run lead in Sunday's loss to the Atlanta Braves, they got the best possible revenge. The combination of a virtuoso complete-game performance from left-handed starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo and a clutch eighth-inning solo-home run from designated hitter Kyle Schwarber gave the Phillies a 1-0 win over the Braves in a playoff-like atmosphere at Citizens Bank Park. 'We know we're playing the Braves — you know they're in the lead in the division, but I think it's a great day. It's a great day that you're able to respond and get a win,' Schwarber said. 'We know where we're at in the season. You know it's crunch time, and we want to keep pushing and find a way to stack wins.' Phils manager Don Mattingly said he had no hesitation about sending Luzardo out to pitch the ninth inning ever though he had 109 pitches coming into the final inning. 'Not in my mind and his. He was good and he was efficient all day, but I felt like it was his game,' Mattingly said. 'To put that in someone else's hand didn't seem right. Felt like he was in a good spot still. He didn't have to battle, no 25 or 30 pitches. Everything was pretty efficient. He was throwing strikes all day.' In what was his first complete-game win as a starting pitcher, Luzardo had 12 strikeouts and limited the potent Braves offense to just two hits. He held the Braves resident trash-talker Ron Acuna Jr. to zero hits in three at bats. Luzardo was so efficient on the mound that the game took just one hour and 51 minutes to complete. 'For me, personally, it was pretty cool first time doing it,' Luzardo said. 'I mean we all knew what we had to do today. We had to win as a team.' Between his 'sweeper' pitch and his fastball, Luzardo kept Braves hitters off balance for the entire game. The Braves never got a runner past second base, and Luzardo recorded his sixth double-digit strikeout game of the season. 'I would say after the first inning, just seeing the swings, you know how they're seeing it and how they're receiving it,' Luzardo said. In that crucial ninth, Luzardo said he had to maintain his composure and not get too caught up in the pressure of having the finish off the Braves. In that inning, he retired shortstop Ha Seong Kim on a flyout to center but walked Acuna. He then struck out catcher Drake Baldwin before getting second baseman Ozzie Albies to fly out to left to end the game. 'Definitely controlling the adrenaline and the emotions, I felt like I did a decent job of it,' Luzardo said. 'I knew I had to go out and attack. I didn't have too many pitches left. For sure, I could feel the adrenaline and the emotions pumping through.' More importantly, Luzardo's performance on the mound was a huge boost to the team after losing a game they should have won. 'Obviously, it was a big win after yesterday we had the game, not necessarily in hand, but in a good spot late in a game and we weren't able to hold that,' Mattingly said. 'In this game, bouncing back and getting the 'W' is big in that sense.' As the Phillies are still in the midst of the National League East race and are second to the Chicago Cubs in the race for the top NL Wildcard spot, the Phils starting rotation is rounding into shape and is the team's strong suit with 18 games left in the season. Since May 14, Luzardo has posted an earned run average of 1.93 and has struck out 164 batters while only allowing 39 walks in his last 21 starts. The Phillies have experienced even more stability in their starting rotation with the return of fifth starter Andrew Painter. Since Painter's return on July 31st, the team's starting rotation has made 35 starts and has a 15-5 record (including Monday's game) with a 2.77 ERA. 'Knowing that these guys, the way they work and the way they go about their business, you expect them to go seven or even a complete game or whatever it is,' Schwarber said. 'You see the want these guys have on a daily basis.' The Phillies homestand continues with three games against the American League West leading Houston Astros tonight. Painter will take the mound for the Phillies against right hander Hayden Wesneski. First pitch is at 6:40 p.m., and you can catch the game on NBC Sports Philadelphia or WIP 94.1.