Braves 6, Phillies 1
Brian McCann belted a three-run homer and Ben Sheets won his third consecutive start, lifting host Atlanta to a victory in the series opener and ending Philadelphia’s four-game winning streak.
Chipper Jones went 2-for-4 for the Braves, who won their third in a row and sixth in nine games. McCann launched a three-run homer in the fifth, the sixth consecutive game against Philadelphia in which the Atlanta catcher has homered.
In his first start since signing a six-year, $144-million deal, Philadelphia's Cole Hamels (11-5) struggled with his control. The left-hander walked a career-high six in five innings, allowing five runs (three earned) and four hits with seven strikeouts.
Sheets (3-0) allowed six hits and one run in six innings, walking one and striking out four. He worked out of sixth-inning trouble, leaving two runners stranded.
Sheets also factored in Atlanta’s two-run second. Philadelphia third baseman Mike Fontenot booted Sheets’ bases-loaded grounder with two outs, allowing Freddie Freeman to score to tie the game at 1-1. Former Phillie Michael Bourn followed with a single to left, driving home Dan Uggla to make it 2-1 Atlanta.
In the fifth, McCann connected on his 17th homer of the season, a towering blast to dead center that scored Jason Heyward and Jones to push Atlanta’s lead to 5-1.
Philadelphia’s Jimmy Rollins led off the game with a single to right. Shane Victorino drove home Rollins with a double to the right-center field gap.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Rollins and Victorino each finished with two hits. … Atlanta improved to 25-24 at home. … Jones has a base hit in 23 of his past 25 games. … Hamels had previously walked five hitters in a game three times. … The Braves are 5-2 against the Phillies this season. … Atlanta SS Paul Janish and Freeman each walked three times.