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Phillies use two five-run innings to beat Braves

Jul 28, 2008 - 1:27 AM By Vince DiGregorio PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Once the thunder and lightning stopped, the offensive explosion started for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Shane Victorino had a home run and tied a career high with four RBI as the Phillies rallied from a five-run deficit and withstood a late charge from the Atlanta Braves before pulling out a 12-10 victory in the rubber match of a three-game set on Sunday.

It was the second straight game that Philadelphia came back from a large deficit. On Saturday, the Phillies rebounded from a nine-run inning by the Braves with a seven-run frame of their own in a 10-9 victory.

"We lost a five-run lead today. We lost a six-run lead yesterday," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "In this ballpark, it's understandable. You're not gonna hold them down forever. It's impossible.

"But they didn't hold us down (either). Both teams looked equally the same to me, except they won the last two."

The win moved Philadelphia (56-49) into sole possession of second place in the National League East Division after the Florida Marlins (55-50) lost earlier in the day. The Phillies, who led the division at the All-Star break, remained one game behind the first-place New York Mets (57-48).

"We want to be 10 games (ahead) in first place, but we're not. We're in second place," Victorino said. "Sometimes, it's fun to come from behind and battle, because that's the kind of team we've been.

"But I want to be in first place and I'm sure everyone in this locker room wants to be in first place."

Philadelphia fell behind, 5-0, and used a pair of five-run innings to get back in the contest. Victorino belted a three-run home run off Jo-Jo Reyes to cap a five-run fourth that tied the game at 5-5.

"It shows last night and tonight that we never give up and we never will give up," Victorino said. "That's what makes this team so fun and so exciting to be on. Being down the way we were yesterday and being down 5-0 today and battle back to win this game is fun."

After Pat Burrell gave the Phillies the lead for good with a solo home run off Julian Tavarez (0-1) in the fifth, Victorino had an RBI single during a five-run sixth when Philadelphia took an 11-5 advantage.

Later in the frame, Victorino knocked Braves catcher Brian McCann out from the game in a home-plate collision while scoring on a two-run single by Ryan Howard.

"I wasn't gearing up to go look for the catcher, but as the ball was getting closer, I saw McCann kind of bracing himself to receive the ball," Victorino said. "I was just trying to be safe. The only way I thought I could be safe was to try and jar the ball loose. That's what I did."

McCann suffered a mild concussion on the play after Victorino's helmet knocked his mask off.

"I didn't have time to react," McCann said. "We hit head-to-head. I've got a headache right now, but I'm gonna be all right. I would have done the same thing if I was running."

Victorino's home run was one of five hit by the Phillies. Chris Coste, Jimmy Rollins and Jayson Werth also homered.

"We've got a great offensive club," Werth said. "We just haven't been swinging, collectively, very well lately. It was good for everybody to get going (offensively) the last couple of days.

"We're getting down to the stretch run. August and September are upon us here and it's time to kick it in gear and be the team that we all know that we are."

Rollins blast - a solo shot in the seventh - had given Philadelphia a 12-5 lead, but Atlanta responded with a five-run frame of its own in the eighth to pull within 12-10. Martin Prado's three-run, pinch-hit double capped the outburst.

However, closer Brad Lidge retired the Braves in the ninth for his 24th save to preserve the win for Clay Condrey (3-2).

"We let them come back a little bit, but we're fortunate that we had a pretty comfortable lead going into the eighth," Coste said.

Atlanta jumped on Joe Blanton for two runs in the first inning. McCann had an RBI single ahead of a run-scoring double by Mark Kotsay.

Atlanta starter Jorge Campillo retired the first two batters in the bottom of the second before a 1-hour, 57-minute rain delay. When the game resumed, Reyes came on for Campillo and Adam Eaton replaced Blanton for the Phillies.

The Braves upped their margin to five with back-to-back home runs in the fourth. Kelly Johnson hit a two-run homer followed by a solo shot by Omar Infante.