Homers, Hamels’ Pitching Cool Jurrjens; Phillies Sweep Braves
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Three Phillies solo homers and an 8 2/3 inning pitching gem by ace lefthander Cole Hamels cooled a very hot Jair Jurrjens as the Phillies won the series final over Atlanta by a 4-1 score, sweeping a 3 game series from the Braves for the second time this season.
The win, combined with Florida’s extra inning loss to Colorado, increased the NL East 1st place Phils’ lead over the 2nd place Marlins to 2 1/2 games. They remained 4 1/2 games ahead of the Mets who pounded St. Louis and dropped the Braves to 7 games out. The Phillies produced the sweep that they badly needed to return to Citizen’s Bank Park with momentum for their 4 crucial games with the Mets.
2nd baseman Chase Utley solved Jurrjens with 2 outs in the first inning for a solo homer to rightfield, his 24th round-tripper of the season. Jurrjens had given up only 3 runs in 22 1/3 innings in his previous 3 starts. He came into the game carrying a streak of 24 1-3 innings without allowing an earned run.
the Phils threatened in the second inning putting runners at 1st and 2nd base with one out, but catcher Carlos Ruiz pounded a long foul out to rightfield and Hamels struck out to end the inning.
In the fourth inning, 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz grounded a one out RBI single through the middle for the Phils’ 2nd run. Feliz went 2 for 4 for the game with 2 RBIs.
1st baseman Ryan Howard added a 1 out solo blast, his 22nd of the season, to leftfield in the sixth and Feliz pounded a solo homer, his 10th of the season, for good measure leading off the seventh inning.
Meanwhile, Hamels pitched another gem for his 9th win vs 5 losses, only allowing 2 Braves to reach in the same inning once in the game prior to the ninth. A single and a walk leading off for the Braves in the second went for naught as Hamels got the next 3 Braves in order. The Braves never mounted an offensive threat until the ninth inning as Hamels, who threw 125 pitches in 8 2/3 innings, gave up 1 run on 5 hits while walking 2 and striking out 7. To recall, Hamels recorded a complete game 5-0 shut out over the Braves in mid-May.
The only run scored off of Hamels came in the ninth as 3rd baseman Chipper Jones doubled to left centerfield to lead off the inning. After 1st baseman Mark Teixeira grounded out to short and leftfielder Omar Infante struck out, catcher Brian McCann doubled on Hamels’ 125th pitch to drive in the Braves’ run. Hamels was lifted for reliever Tom Gordon who needed all of 1 pitch to get rightfielder Jeff Francoeur to fly out to left to end the game and earn his 2nd save of the season.
Jurrjens went seven innings throwing 119 pitches, giving up 4 runs on 8 hits while walking 2 and striking out 6. His record fell to 8-4. Lefthanders Will Ohman and Mike Gonzalez each pitched a perfect inning, each getting 1 strikeout in relief.
For all of the scores, boxscores and recaps on Thursday’s games, click here.
From Atlanta, the Phillies come home on Friday to open a 10 game home-stand, starting with a crucial 4 game series with the Mets beginning on Friday and which ends with the 4 day All Star break.
In Friday’s opener, either Chad Durbin gets into the starting rotation, or 26 year old lefthander J.A. Happ, just called up from the minors faces lefthander Johan Santana. We probably won’t know for sure who the Phils’ starter is until near gametime.
Santana, sporting a 7-7 mark, has so far been proven to be somewhat vulnerable to NL hitters. In his only previous start for the Mets against the Phillies on April 18, he went 7 innings giving up 3 runs on 4 hits, throwing 105 pitches and striking out 10.
On Saturday, veteran 45 year old lefthander Jamie Moyer, with a 7-6 seasonal mark, is opposed by John Maine with an 8-6 mark.
For the scores, boxscores and recaps on Friday’s and Saturday’s games, click here and here.
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