Brandon Marsh's go-ahead sacrifice fly lifts Phillies to comeback victory over the Braves

ATLANTA — It has been almost a month since Bryce Harper stood up in the Phillies’ clubhouse and, with the team’s trade-deadline shopping all but completed, issued a declaration.

“[The] superstars got to show up,” he said.

Well? Everyone’s waiting.

Harper, Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto, and others in owner John Middleton’s collection of high-priced stars have been unable to kick it into gear since the All-Star break. It isn’t a coincidence that the Phillies are struggling as a team, losing 20-of-32 games entering Wednesday night.

But when they needed a pick-me-up, the bottom of the order delivered.

Edmundo Sosa, Johan Rojas, and Weston Wilson notched big hits before pinch-hitting Brandon Marsh lifted a tie-breaking sacrifice fly — and Carlos Estévez walked a ninth-inning tightrope — to fuel a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over the rival Atlanta Braves at Truist Park.

Just like they drew it up, right?

Trailing 2-0 on a homer by Orlando Arcia — and a mini-stare at Harper as Arcia rounded first base — and unable to muster offense through the first 14 innings of the series, the Phillies finally rallied in the sixth against Braves ace Max Fried.

Sosa slashed a leadoff single. Rojas followed with a double to bring up the struggling top of the order. Sosa scored on a groundout by Kyle Schwarber before Rojas beat left fielder Jarred Kelenic’s airmailed throw to the plate on Turner’s sacrifice fly.

Wilson, getting a start in place of Marsh against a left-hander, provided a spark in the eighth with a leadoff double. He went to third on Bryson Stott’s fly out, then scored when Marsh put the ball in play to deep left field.

Nobody needed it more than the Phillies’ biggest names. Since Harper’s challenge, he’s 18 for 84 with two homers and 24 strikeouts. Turner is 19 for 86 with one homer and 13 whiffs. Schwarber: 22 for 84, six homers, 30 whiffs; Realmuto: 16 for 62, one homer, 13 strikeouts.

After going hitless in their last 17 at-bats of the series opener Monday night — and recording five hits overall — the Phillies picked up where they left off.

Through five innings, only three batters reached base, none getting as far as second, against Fried.

Oh, and the Phillies trailed 2-0 after Arcia drove a hanging Aaron Nola sinker into the first few rows in left field.

Nola labored through 5 1/3 innings before turning it over to the bullpen. Jeff Hoffman got a rally-killing double play to get Nola out of the sixth before Matt Strahm, Orion Kerkering, and Estevez recorded the final nine outs.