Braves Upend Phillies in 10 After Kendrick’s 8 Shutout Innings
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Phillies starting pitcher Kyle Kendrick, who had been pounded for 11 runs in 5 2/3 innings in his previous 2 outings and only lasting 1 2/3 innings in his last start, completely foiled the Atlanta Braves through eight innings on Tuesday. The Phils played small ball notching single runs in the fourth and fifth innings off of Atlanta starter Tommy Hanson, and another run in the seventh inning off of 2nd year reliever Kris Medlen. Reliever Ryan Madson replaced Kendrick to open the ninth and got the first 2 outs of the inning with a walk sandwiched in-between before back-to-back homers tied the score. Then centerfielder Nate McLouth led off the tenth by nailing a 2-2 pitch from Jose Contreras, homering to rightfield as the Braves upended the Phillies in ten innings by a 4-3 score after Kendrick’s eight shutout innings.
The Phils wasted easily Kendrick’s best outing of the new season by blowing other scoring chances in the second, fourth and seventh innings thus missing chances to apply a knockout punch. They have scored only 4 runs in their last twenty-eight innings after having previously led the MLB by scoring an average of over 7 runs per game over their first 10 games. Their losing string now stands at 3 games as they fell into a 1st place tie with the Braves in the NL East. The Florida Marlins are 1/2 game behind in the division.
Kendrick went eight innings throwing 109 pitches while giving up only 4 hits and walking 2 while striking out 2 in a masterful effort resulting in a no-decision.
AP sportswriter Charles Odum recaps the game for Yahoo sports:
“It was definitely a tough loss,” Kendrick said. “Madson’s been doing great.”
Kendrick matched the longest start of his career while continuing his success against the Braves. He has allowed no more than three runs in each of his seven career starts against Atlanta.
Tommy Hanson gave up six hits and two runs in 4 2-3 innings for the Braves.
Chase Utley…., who had two hits, led off the fourth with a half-swing double and scored on Ryan Howard’s single.
Hanson was pulled after Placido Polanco’s two-out double in the fifth. Eric O’Flaherty gave up Utley’s run-scoring single.
Utley added an RBI grounder in the seventh.
With the Braves still within striking distance in the ninth inning,
Odum continues his recap:
Madson blew a 3-0 lead in the ninth by giving up consecutive homers to Troy Glaus and [Jason] Heyward.
Glaus, booed earlier in the game for hitting into a bases-loaded double play, smacked a two-run shot with two outs that drove in Chipper Jones, who had walked. Heyward, the Braves’ celebrated rookie, followed with his team-leading fourth homer into the center-field stands to push the game to extra innings.
McLouth led off the 10th with another home run to complete the Braves’ comeback…
Closer Billy Wagner went clean on the Phils in the tenth to pick up his 1st win of the season. Contreras was charged with the loss after giving up his 1st run when leadoff hitter McLouth homered leading off the tenth.
To view the scores of all of Monday’s and Tuesday’s MLB games, click here here.
In Wednesday’s game 2, ace Roy Halladay is opposed by Tim Hudson for the Braves.
To view all of Wednesday’s games, click here.
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