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Renteria's second homer boosts Braves past Phillies

Apr 2, 2007 - 10:35 PM PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Edgar Renteria needs some work on his bunting skills.

Unable to get down a bunt in the 10th inning, Renteria belted a two-run homer - his second of the game - to give the Atlanta Braves a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Opening Day.

The Phillies wasted a strong effort by starter Brett Myers and several good scoring opportunities. They left 10 runners, struck out 11 times and heard boos from the Citizens Bank Park crowd.

Renteria had tied the game with a two-out, two-strike homer off Myers in the eighth. He went deep again with two strikes in the 10th for his sixth career two-homer game.

"I'm no power hitter," Renteria said. "I hit the ball good a couple of times."

Ryan Madson began the 10th by walking Kelly Johnson. Renteria, who has 82 career sacrifices, twice fouled off pitches attempting to bunt before sending a shot over the wall in right-center field.

"I tried to move the guy with a bunt, (but) I couldn't do it," Renteria said. "(Madson) threw me a nasty pitch, so I tried to put the ball in play and I got lucky. The ball went out.

"I told myself it wasn't a big deal because I missed (two bunt attempts). What I thought was to put the ball in play. Sometimes when you try to hit a ground ball, you hit the ball out."

The blast made a winner of Bob Wickman, who pitched the ninth as part of a strong effort by Atlanta's bullpen. Chad Paronto worked a perfect 10th for his first career save.

"Our strength is our bullpen. It's no secret," said Atlanta catcher Brian McCann, who had a homer among his three hits. "Anytime we can get to them with a lead, we like our chances."

"Last year, we blew 29 saves," Braves third baseman Chipper Jones added. "It was tough on the psyche of the ballclub. A few of these (wins) can turn that psyche around."

The Phillies squandered a great chance to add to a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the seventh. Reliever Mike Gonzalez walked Myers and gave up a double to Jimmy Rollins. But Gonzalez struck out Shane Victorino and National League MVP Ryan Howard before getting Chase Utley to ground out.

"Last year, we led the league in runs scored, but we also led the league in leaving runners on base," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "You could look at that either way you want to look at it. I look at it as that we had the most guys on base, so our chance to score the most runs is good. I'm positive, (the media) is negative."

Myers got two quick outs to open the eighth and two quick strikes on Renteria, who sent the next pitch over the center field fence to tie it.

"It was a fastball," Renteria said. "I always look for a fastball. Myers was tough. He's always tough. To me, he's one of the best pitchers in the game."

Myers had no regrets about the pitch selection after getting Renteria to pop out on the same pitch in the third.

"I got him out that way before when I had two strikes on him and I got him to pop it up," Myers said. "It was the right pitch. I didn't locate it and he did what he's supposed to do with it. It wasn't the greatest pitch, but would I throw it again? Yeah, probably."

Myers gave up three runs, four hits and two walks in 7 2/3 innings, striking out nine. He was a bit better than Braves starter John Smoltz, who allowed three runs, eight hits and a walk in six frames, fanning seven.

In the fourth, Myers walked Chipper Jones before McCann connected for a homer.

Rollins halved the deficit with a homer in the bottom of the fifth, and Philadelphia took the lead with a two-out rally in the sixth.

After Smoltz had retired Howard and Utley, Pat Burrell singled and came around on a double by former Brave Wes Helms. Aaron Rowand followed with a bloop single that plated Helms.

"Unfortunately, my only bad pitch of the game was a slider to Wes Helms that didn't slide," Smoltz said.