Atlanta, GA (Best E Casino) - Pat Burrell's two-run blast in the sixth inning put the Phillies on top, and Philadelphia held on for a 4-3 win over the Braves to complete a season sweep in Atlanta.
The Phillies, who maintained their half-game lead over the New York Mets in the NL East, went 9-0 in Atlanta this season, including this latest three-game sweep in Turner Field. The Phillies are the first team to sweep a season series longer than four games in Braves franchise history in almost 100 years, since the 1909 Boston Doves lost all 11 home games to the Chicago Cubs.
Philadelphia is 13-2 against Atlanta overall this season, a franchise-record number of wins for the Phillies against the Braves, and the clubs still have three games left, next week in Philadelphia.
Cole Hamels (14-9) held the Braves to two runs despite allowing six hits in six innings, with five strikeouts and two walks. Brad Lidge tossed a perfect ninth for his 38th save in 38 opportunities this season for the Phillies, who extended their season-high winning streak to seven games.
Mike Hampton (2-3) surrendered four runs -- two earned -- on six hits in seven frames, with one strikeout and two walks. Casey Kotchman homered for the Braves, who have dropped four of five.
Burrell, in the midst of a two-month slump, belted a long two-run homer to left with no outs in the sixth, his 32nd long ball of the season. The blast, Burrell's 250th career homer, pushed Philadelphia in front 4-2.
"It's that time of year," Burrell said. "As a player you got to take pride in it. We need to be sure we come out and win every game. Not that it's been any different all year, but it appears it's going to be a situation where it comes down to the last few days and you have to do whatever it takes to get yourself ready."
Two misplays in the field by the Phillies allowed the Braves to add a run in the seventh. With two outs and the bases empty, Kelly Johnson grounded right to Ryan Howard at first, but he muffed the ball, and Johnson reached safely for an infield single. Phillies reliever Ryan Madson then walked Chipper Jones, and Brian McCann's pop up to shallow left was dropped by Jimmy Rollins, allowing Johnson to score and Jones to move to third.
Omar Infante popped out, though, and the Phillies clung to a 4-3 lead.
J.C. Romero worked around a two-out single in the eighth, and Lidge fanned two in the ninth for another save.
The Phillies jumped on top in the first. Chase Utley singled with one out, and Jayson Werth doubled to center, scoring Utley, and moved to third on Josh Anderson's error in center. Howard's sacrifice fly to left gave Philadelphia a 2-0 lead.
The Braves got one run right back off of Hamels, though, on McCann's RBI double in the home half. Kotchman then took Hamels deep to right-center to lead off the second, his first homer as a Brave, tying the game at 2-2.
"You got to tip your hat to their [general manager] and coaches," McCann said. "They got a good squad over there. They have no holes. They pitch. They play defense. They hit. You have to tip your hat, I guess."
Game Notes
Werth extended his hitting streak to 13 games...Johnson's grounder that Howard booted in the seventh inning was originally ruled an error, as it should have been. The scorekeeper curiously changed it to a hit, which coincidentally extended Johnson's career-best hitting streak to 16 games...Hampton beaned Rollins in the fifth inning, Hampton's first HBP this season.
