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Phillies complete sweep of Braves

Jun 8, 2008 - 10:20 PM By Phil Foley PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

ATLANTA (Ticker) -- A hot day failed to cool down the scorching Philadelphia Phillies.

Ryan Howard delivered a career-best three doubles and drove in four runs to lead Philadelphia to a 6-3 win over the Atlanta Braves and a sweep of the three-game series at a sweltering Turner Field on Sunday.

Shane Victorino had three hits and singled in the go-ahead run in the ninth to for the Phillies, who improved to a blistering 15-4 over their last 19 games.

"I think we've played great baseball, but I think our best ball is still ahead," Howard said. "It's just a feeling. We are pitching well right now. We're getting timely hits. Right now, it's great."

Philadelphia broke open the game with a three-run ninth on an oppressively warm day at Turner Field.

"We scored runs late in all three games," Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel said. "All three games were in the same order."

With the mercury peaking in the mid-90s, pinch hitter Eric Bruntlett smashed a one-out base hit before reigning NL MVP Jimmy Rollins followed with a single. Victorino's hit then plated Bruntlett to put the Phillies on top.

"I was just trying to get a pitch to hit," Victorino said. "Every win counts, especially within the division. We gain ground or lose ground. But we still have a long way to go."

Center fielder Gregor Blanco's wild throw home allowed the runners to advance one base before Atlanta reliever Blaine Boyer (1-4) issued an intentional walk to load the bases.

Howard followed by ripping the next pitch from Boyer off the left field wall, plating Victorino and Rollins to give the Phils the final margin.

"I was thinking that (Boyer) was wanted to get ahead," Howard said. "I was looking for a fastball middle or middle away and I was able to get it."

"It's on my shoulders, I take full responsibility (for the loss)," Boyer said. "I made some bad pitches. Unfortunately, the game sat on my shoulders today."

The 2006 MVP, Howard is heating up along with the weather, raising his average 51 points since he was batting a paltry .163 on May 7. He didn't mind the muggy Atlanta weather one bit.

"I'm from St. Louis," Howard said. "I'm used to this kind of weather. It doesn't bother me too much."

His manager did not think twice about starting his cleanup hitter, despite the fact that Howard is batting just .214.

"I don't care what his average is," Manuel said. "I put him in the lineup every day. I know he can hit. I don't care whether he hits doubles to right or left."

Chad Durbin (2-1) hurled two scoreless frames in relief to notch the win. Closer Brad Lidge retired the side in order in the ninth to record his 17th save.

Philadelphia roughed up Atlanta starter Jorge Campillo for two runs in the first inning.

Victorino and Chase Ultey connected for back-to-back singles before Howard plated Victorino with his first double, a dunker down the right field line.

After Campillo issued an intentional walk to Pat Burrell to load the bases, left fielder Geoff Jenkins hit a shot down the line that looked destined for extra bases. But Teixeira made a nice diving grab on the play to limit the damage. Utley crossed the plate, but Campillo induced Greg Dobbs to fly out to right to end the frame.

The Atlanta first baseman showed that he could hit, too in the bottom of the frame.

Teixeira crushed the 0-1 offering from Philadelphia starter Adam Eaton 435-feet into the right-center field bleachers to knot the contest at 2-2.

But Atlanta had few big hits on Chipper Jones bat day.

The Braves gave out over 33,000 bats on Sunday, but could have used the big bat of their injured slugger Jones, who leads the majors with a .420 batting average.

With their best hitter sidelined due to a strained right quadriceps muscle, the Braves (32-32) had difficulty stringing together the timely hit, squandering a bases-loaded opportunity in the third to fall 6 1/2 games behind the Phillies (39-26) in the National League East.

"Chipper is a difference maker," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "You need him in the lineup. He can change the game real quick."

The road doesn't get much better for Atlanta, which fell to 0-6 in games in which Jones does not start. The Braves, who are a major-league worst 7-21 away from Turner Field, open up a 10-game, 10-day, four-city road trip in Chicago on Tuesday.

"I think everybody is (trying to do too much), me included," Teixeira said. "When you're not getting big hits as a team, you look like it is, 'here's where I'm going to hit a home run or get a bases-clearing double.' Sometimes you can try too hard in this game."

Philadelphia pulled ahead on Howard's RBI double down the left field line in the third, but the Braves tied the contest on rookie Josh Anderson's single.