Phillies 4 - 0 Braves
Final
  for this game

Phils extend Braves' scoreless streak to 24 innings

Sep 3, 2014 - 3:15 AM Atlanta, GA (SportsNetwork.com) - For a second straight game, Philadelphia's pitching was phenomenal. The Atlanta Braves continued their offensive slump, again faltering to the last-place team in the National League East.

Kyle Kendrick pitched seven shutout innings and Carlos Ruiz homered and drove in two runs, as the Phillies topped the Braves, 4-0, in the middle installment of a three-game series.

On Monday, four Philadelphia pitchers threw the first combined no-hitter in Phillies history in their 7-0 win at Turner Field. A night later, the Braves were limited to three hits and saw their scoreless streak extend to 24 innings.

The Braves have scored just one run over their last four games. That was a home run by Evan Gattis in the second inning of a 1-0 win over Miami on Sunday.

On Labor Day, Cole Hamels, Jake Diekman, Ken Giles and Jonathan Papelbon teamed up to snuff out the Braves. Tuesday, it was Kendrick (8-11), Giles and Antonio Bastardo combining for the whitewash. Kendrick walked two and had four strikeouts.

"Obviously it feels good," Kendrick said. "What happened yesterday, I'm sure they were going to come out and be aggressive. I made some quality pitches. Guys made some good plays, got a couple of ground balls, that was big. I was mostly just trying to get ahead, strike one."

Mike Minor (6-9) surrendered seven hits and three runs over 7 1/3 innings for the Braves, who are chasing Milwaukee for the second wild card spot.

"We are all concerned with winning, but I don't think anybody is panicking," Minor said. "We're a great team. None of us are really pressured into winning. We just want to go out there and try our best and do our best every night."

Braves outfielder Justin Upton departed the game after the fifth inning with a left triceps contusion. He was hit by a pitch in the opening frame when the Braves filled the bases with one out, but Gattis and Chris Johnson both struck out to cap the inning.

Ruiz homered to left field to begin the fifth, and it became 2-0 in the sixth. Ben Revere singled, stole second, and with two outs scored on Darin Ruf's line single to right.

Jason Heyward had two doubles, and his one to start the home sixth was Atlanta's final hit.

Maikel Franco, who was called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to make his major league debut, started at third base. The 22-year-old had a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning. That came immediately after Ruiz roped an RBI double to left.

Giles retired the side in order in the eighth and Bastardo struck out all three hitters in the ninth.

Game Notes

Ryan Doumit replaced Upton in left field in the sixth inning ... Franco is the Phillies' youngest position player since Jimmy Rollins debuted in 2000 ... Kendrick, who had allowed five or more hits in each start late May and 30 in the previous four, moved to 9-4 lifetime against the Braves. He is 3-0 in his last six starts overall ... It's the first time the Phillies have recorded back-to-back shutouts since Aug. 13-14, 2012 at Miami.






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