Orlando Arcia frustrates Philly crowd by homering twice as Braves take second game of series..

Atlanta Braves’ Orlando Arcia reacts after hitting a home run against Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Suárez during the third inning of a baseball game, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Philadelphia. The Braves won 7-2. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

By now, you should know this: The Braves will not be defeated by one brutal loss. This is nothing to a group that has experienced it all over the last handful of seasons.

A night after a crushing loss, the Braves returned to the ballpark like nothing had happened and beat the Phillies, 7-2. They are five games back of Philadelphia.

If Atlanta can win the next two games, it will return home with only a three-game deficit in the National League East standings – the smallest it has been since the start of play on May 15.

Five observations:

1. At Citizens Bank Park, they love to boo Orlando Arcia. The rest of the world has moved on – or forgotten – the “Atta boy, Harper” line, but not these fans. They take every opportunity to express how much they dislike him. Arcia and Marcell Ozuna always receive the heaviest boos here.

They might love him even less now.

Arcia homered twice in the win – once off Ranger Suárez in the third inning, then again off Max Lazar in the sixth. This time, he didn’t stare down Bryce Harper. Arcia simply rounded the bases as the boos rained down. His play made the statement.

“I like to think that I’m just a player who goes out there and tries to enjoy his game,” Arcia said through interpreter Franco García. “If they boo me, I still gotta go out there and take the at-bats, so it doesn’t really change much.”

But he did hear the boos.

“I think the whole world could hear it,” Arcia said, laughing.

Arcia, who isn’t known for his bat and struggled for a large portion of the season, has 15 home runs. Eight have come since the start of play on July 28. It’s been a nice lift for an offense that is suddenly receiving contributions from different sources.

During his struggles, he tried to be the same guy.