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Braves break out of offensive slump, beat Phils

Sep 4, 2014 - 5:57 AM Atlanta, GA (SportsNetwork.com) - Christian Bethancourt helped the Atlanta Braves break out of an offensive slide, going 3-for-4 with an pair of RBI and two runs scored in a 7-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday afternoon at Turner Field.

B.J. Upton added a homer and Freddie Freeman scored a pair of runs for the Braves, who salvaged the finale of this three-game set and ended a scoring drought in the process.

Atlanta was no-hit in the series opener and then had only three hits in a 4-0 loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday.

"We'd like to win all of them," said Upton. "Every game counts right now. We didn't hang our heads after the last two days."

Braves starting pitcher Ervin Santana (14-7) benefited from the outburst to record the win, his first since August 18. The right-hander was charged with four runs on seven hits, striking out four and walking one in six innings.

Ben Revere went 3-for-5 and scored two runs for the Phillies, who lost for just the third time in 10 games. Grady Sizemore added a two-run homer for Philadelphia, which fell to 3-3 on its current nine-game road trip that will end with three games in Washington, DC, starting Friday.

With the game tied 4-4, the Braves went ahead for good in the fifth inning. Freeman began the frame against Phillies reliever Mario Hollands with a double. He was originally called out on a close play at the bag, but after review was ruled safe. That challenge was key to the inning as Freeman later scored on a Bethancourt base hit for a 5-4 edge.

Freeman also started a sixth-inning rally, working a two-out walk. After a Ryan Doumit base hit advanced Freeman to second, Tommy LaStella singled to chase home Freeman. Doumit later scored on a wild pitch by Phillies reliever Justin De Fratus.

Hollands (2-2) suffered the loss, as he was charged with one run on one hit in two-thirds of an inning. It was later revealed that he was suffering from left elbow soreness.

Craig Kimbrel worked the ninth to earn his 42nd save of the season.

Trailing 1-0 after Revere scored on a Chase Utley sac fly in the first inning, the Braves grabbed a two-run lead in the second. Bethancourt drove in the tying run with a base hit and then scored when Upton homered.

The Phillies tied the game in the third when Sizemore belted a two-run shot of his own.

The teams later exchanged runs when Bethancourt scored on a Jason Heyward groundout in the fourth and Utley drove in another run in the fifth with a sac fly.

Philadelphia starting pitcher David Buchanan avoided the decision. He was charged with four runs -- one earned -- on three hits in four innings. He struck out two and walked four.

"I was trying to come up and in," Buchanan said of Upton's homer. "I overthrew it and left it over the plate."

Game Notes

Upton's homer was his 10th of the season ... The Phillies lost despite out- hitting the Braves, 8-7 ... Revere has seven hits in his last five games. This was his 50th multi-hit game of the season.