PHILLIES NEWS

After another tough series with the Rangers the Phils traveled down to Atlanta to begin an important 3 game set. In the wake of Brett Myers, the opening day starter, being sent down to the minors, apparently for seasoning, Kyle Kendrick took the mound tonight, and produced another solid performance, allowing just 3 runs on 7 hits in 6 innings of work. Meanwhile, the Phils' bats started to awake at last, with 14 hits and 8 runs on the night, but they also left the bases loaded twice, so they are not all the way back yet. Now onto the game. In the top of the 2nd, Pat "the Bat" Burrell slammed a solo homer for a 1-0 Phils' lead. In the top of the 4th, the "Flyin Hawaiian" Shane Victorino slugged a 2 run homer, and Burrell and Geoff Jenkins each singled in a run for a 5-0 lead. In the bottom of the 7th, the Braves began to mount a comeback as Greg Norton doubled in 2 runs and scored on a fielder's choice to cut the lead to 5-3. In the top of the 9th, the Phils finally put the nail in the Braves' coffin, as Jayson Werth singled, stole second, moved to third on an error and scored on a Pedro Feliz sac fly for one run, and Victorino slapped a bases loaded single for two more runs to push the lead back to 8-3. Finally in the bottom of the inning Brad Lidge came in and struck out the side in a non save situation to finish off the 8-3 Phils win. So the Phils improve to 45-39 overall and move back to 1.5 games up in the NL East.