Recap: Atlanta vs. Philadelphia
Sports Network | September 17, 2008
Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Rookie left-hander J.A. Happ, making a spot- start for the Phillies, came through with six shutout innings, and Philadelphia downed Atlanta, 6-1, in the second of a three-game set.
Happ (1-0), replacing the struggling Kyle Kendrick in Philadelphia's rotation, gave up just three hits with two strikeouts and a walk to pick up his first career win. Shane Victorino went 3-for-4 and scored, and Ryan Howard had an RBI single and scored in a four-run first inning for Philadelphia, which has won a season-high six straight, and held on to first place in the NL East.
The New York Mets, who entered play trailing the Phillies by a half-game in the division, played at Washington on Wednesday.
Matt Stairs added a solo homer for the Phillies, who are 12-2 against the Braves this season, and 8-0 at Turner Field. Philadelphia will go for the season sweep in Atlanta on Thursday.
Young right-hander Jair Jurrjens (13-10) surrendered four runs -- all in the first inning -- on five hits with two strikeouts and five walks to take the loss. Greg Norton's pinch-hit RBI single in the ninth was the only offense for the Braves, who have dropped three of four.
Jurrjens was wild in the first inning, and the Phillies took advantage for four runs. After Jimmy Rollins led off with a ground out, Jurrjens walked both Chase Utley and Jayson Werth. Howard continued his hot hitting with a single to right, scoring Utley.
Werth broke for third with Pat Burrell at the plate, and scored on Brian McCann's wild throw. Burrell flied out, but Victorino singled and stole second, and Pedro Feliz walked to load the bases with two outs. Carlos Ruiz came through with a grounder up the middle, plating two more runs, and the Phillies took the early 4-0 lead.
Philadelphia added a run on a mistake by Braves second baseman Kelly Johnson in the eighth. With runners at the corners and one out Johnson, apparently thinking there were two outs, threw to first on a dead double-play grounder by Feliz. Eric Bruntlett scored from third for a 5-0 Phillies lead.
Stairs' homer -- his 12th of the season but first since the Phillies acquired him from the Toronto Blue Jays -- extended Philadelphia's lead to six runs in the ninth.
Norton's pinch-hit RBI single with two outs in the ninth averted the shutout for the Braves.
Johnson extended his hitting streak to 15 games...The Phillies tied a franchise-record for most wins in a season against the Braves. They also downed the Braves 12 times in 1956 and 1965, when they were the Milwaukee Braves... The tentative schedule for the 2009 MLB season was released on Wednesday. The Braves will open their season with a three-game series from April 6-9 at Citizens Bank Park against the Phillies.
