Braves 6, Phillies 4
Jason Heyward homered and drove in a pair of runs as host Atlanta won its third in a row and moved into the National League East lead.
Heyward finished 2-for-4 and Andrelton Simmons added two RBIs for the Braves, who opened an 11-game homestand by winning for the 13th time in their past 18 contests to open a one-game lead on Washington. Ervin Santana (8-6) allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits in as many innings and Craig Kimbrel earned his major-league leading 30th save with a perfect ninth.
Grady Sizemore went 2-for-4 and Cody Asche extended his hitting streak to 10 games for Philadelphia, which has lost three in a row and 12 of its past 18. A.J. Burnett (6-9) gave up six runs on 10 hits in five innings and Ryan Howard drove in a pair of runs.
Asche’s sacrifice fly and Cameron Rupp’s RBI single staked the Phillies to a 2-0 lead in the second, but Atlanta plated four runs in the bottom of the frame. Heyward led off with his ninth homer and, after two-out hits from Christian Bethancourt and Santana, B.J. Upton doubled home a run and Simmons followed with a two-run single to left.
Heyward and Tommy La Stella singled home runs in the fifth to make it 6-2, but Howard’s bloop single to left with no outs in the sixth brought home two runs and pulled Philadelphia within 6-4. Santana responded by retiring the next three hitters, Shae Simmons pitched a perfect seventh and Heyward robbed Howard with a diving catch to end the eighth.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Atlanta released 2B Dan Uggla before the game; Uggla, who was hitting .162 with two homers and 10 RBIs and lost his starting job, is owed approximately $18.5 million through next season. … Upton’s RBI gave him 500 for his career. … Howard’s single snapped an 0-for-13 skid.