After winning 8-2 on Friday, the Braves lost to the Phillies today 10-9. Friday night, Jair Jurrjens held the Phillies to three hits in eight scoreless innings while managing to strike out six and only walk one. At the plate he had a little help from Brian McCann hit hit a solo homer in the Fourth and then in the Ninth he broke the game wide open hitting a grand slam home run. Going into the Ninth, McCann’s solo shot was the only run on the board, but then in the Ninth the Braves rallied for seven runs including McCann’s grand slam. The Phillies also managed to put a few runs on the board when Ryan Howard hit a homer with a runner on and two out. Coming off a game in which the Braves emerged with such a win with the power hitter Chipper Jones out of the line up, Atlanta succumbed to a 10-9 loss against the Phillies today. Going into the Fourth inning, the Braves were trailing by three when they rallied for nine runs in the inning, with a 9-3 scored going into the Fifth, the Phillies turned things around and put seven runs on the board to take the 10-9 and hold on until the end. For Mike Hampton though the day wasn’t all that bad as the Braves lost, because it was Hampton’s first start in nearly three years in the Majors. Hampton went four innings allowing six runs on the day and striking out one, walking two, and giving up eight hits. Omar Infante, Gregor Blanco, Mark Teixeira, Jeff Francoeur, and Mark Kotsay all managed an RBI or more on the day. Teixeira hit his 20th home run of the season when he hit a three-run homer in the Fourth. After another one-run loss on the season, the Braves now hope to bounce back by taking the series from the Phillies who alongside the Marlins are a game and a half back from the Mets in the standings for the NL East. To take the series from the Marlins and then the Phillies would be a great morale booster for the team who stand seven games behind the Mets. Tomorrow Jorge Campillo (5-4) will get the start against Joe Blanton (5-12).
