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Phils hit century mark, beat slumping Braves

Sep 27, 2011 - 5:45 AM Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Going into September 2, Atlanta held an 8 1/2 game advantage in the wild card standings. Thanks to Houston, the Braves still control their own destiny to reach the playoffs.

Raul Ibanez singled in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning and added an insurance RBI base hit in the eighth, carrying the NL East-champion Philadelphia Phillies to their 100th win of the season, 4-2 over the struggling Braves.

Atlanta was in danger of being tied with St. Louis in the wild card standings, but Houston won 5-4 in 10 innings Monday to keep the Cardinals one game back of the Braves.

The Braves, who hit just .167 over the weekend while losing two of three in Washington, have dropped 11 of their last 16 games.

In his final regular season start, Cliff Lee (17-8) fanned six over as many innings and gave up five hits and a pair of runs. His career-high 238 strikeouts this year are the most for any Phillies left-hander since Steve Carlton struck out a major league-leading 275 in 1983. Lee is also the first lefty to compile 17 wins for the team since Shane Rawley finished with a 17-11 record in 1987.

"They're trying to gain some momentum going into the playoffs," Braves second baseman Dan Uggla said of the Phillies. "This isn't a game of friends. They're trying to win. They don't give a crap who they're playing. It just so happened that they did win tonight."

Jimmy Rollins tied the game in the fifth with a solo homer, as the Phillies secured their third-ever 100-win season in franchise history, one shy of a club record (1976-77). The Phillies are the first National League team to post a 100-win season since the Cardinals in 2005. They also clinched the best record in the majors this season when the Yankees lost at Tampa Bay Monday night.

"It means we're a good team," Lee said of reaching 100 wins. "That's really it. I've never been on a team that's won 100 games. It's definitely the best team I've ever played on. That kind of proves it."

The Phillies also tied a franchise-record with their 48th road win, also accomplished in 1976 and 2009.

Chipper Jones homered in the first inning and Alex Gonzalez doubled to right to plate Matt Diaz in the second, but Atlanta's offense went dormant. The Braves, who went 1-for-10 with men in scoring position, put two men on base in the eighth against Brad Lidge, but Jones grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Uggla doubled to left leading off the bottom of the ninth, but Ryan Madson fanned the next two batters and retired pinch-hitter Jason Heyward on a weak grounder to first to log his 32nd save.

Rookie Randall Delgado pitched the first five innings, giving up a Rollins line homer to right in the fifth. Cristhian Martinez (1-3) was charged with the go-ahead run. Shane Victorino tripled to the right field corner with one out in the sixth. Eric O'Flherty then faced Ibanez, who grounded a hit into right field.

Victorino doubled to left against Jonny Venters in the eighth and Ibanez hit a grounder into center.

Lee, who was making his 250th career start and was winless in his last three appearances, gave up a Jones homer to left-center with two down in the first.

After the Gonzalez hit in the second, Lee retired 12 straight batters until a Jones ground-rule double in the sixth.

Placido Polanco singled in Hunter Pence with the bases full in the fourth.

Game Notes

The Braves have gone a season-high 12 straight games without committing an error...Phillies manager Charlie Manuel is one victory shy of tying Gene Mauch (645 wins from 1960-68) for first place on the club's all-time list...Philadelphia leads the season series, 10-6, including five straight wins.