ATLANTA — A 25-year-old rookie reliever briefly flipped the momentum, but Ronald Acuña Jr. provided the late burst that carried Atlanta past Philadelphia 5-4 Sunday, preserving the Braves’ hold on the NL East lead.

Philadelphia jumped ahead early, capitalizing on a miscue in the first inning to grab a 2-0 advantage. A throwing error by Braves shortstop Mauricio Dubón opened the door for a two-on, none-out rally, and a sacrifice fly followed by an RBI double pushed across the runs before the Braves could settle in. Aaron Nola was stingy after that, retiring the first 10 batters before Acuña singled in the fourth to end the streak and keep Atlanta close.

In the sixth, Nola allowed a run on a one-out walk and a sacrifice fly, but the Phillies still clung to a 2-1 lead as he returned to the mound for the seventh with a modest pitch count.

Two quick outs gave way to a Dubón double in the seventh, the ball skipping past Bryce Harper’s reach in the glare of the sun. Then, with two outs, a foul pop near the line proved costly as Bohm was unable to track it, letting Nola’s chance at a clean exit slip away. Nola regrouped and struck out Sean Murphy to escape the seventh with the Phillies clinging to a 2-1 lead.

That’s when the late drama began. McFarlane, making his 11th big‑league appearance, entered with the game on the line and immediately yielded back‑to‑back one-out hits. The rookie surrendered a game-tying three-run homer to Acuña Jr., a blast that drew boos and turned the mood in Citizens Bank Park on its head as the Braves surged in front.

Atlanta stretched the lead in the ninth, as Ozzie Albies doubled to start the frame and Austin Riley delivered a triple off Jhoan Duran to push the advantage to 4-2. Philadelphia answered with one last push, but the rally sputtered. Bryson Stott opened the bottom of the inning with a single and moved to third with one out, yet De La Cruz’s line drive and Edmundo Sosa’s strikeout ended the threat without a run crossing the plate.

Looking at the standings, the Braves leave town with at least a four-game cushion in the division race. The clubs meet for three games next weekend in Atlanta, with the possibility of a tiebreaker if the season series resolves a certain way. For Philadelphia, the wild-card path remains open, as the club holds a five-game cushion for the first round and sits a game behind the Cubs for the top wild-card spot, offering a best-of-three home series to start the postseason.

The late-season drama is what makes this stretch so compelling, with emerging talent on both sides and a pennant chase that keeps fans on edge through the closing days of the regular season.