Atlanta once again draws to 2.5 games of the Philadelphia Phillies after a 4-1 extra inning victory on Saturday. Both games of this series have now gone into extra innings showing just how great a match up these two teams are. Friday night it was the Phillies who came up with the big hit in extra innings. Saturday afternoon it was Atlanta's turn.
Alex Gonzalez broke a 1-1 tie in the 11th with an RBI single and Brian McCann added a two run homer as insurance. Atlanta caught a break earlier in Gonzalez's at bat as Ryan Howard couldn't make an over the shoulder catch of a foul ball. Two pitches later, Gonzalez delivered.
Two of the best pitchers in the National League went head to head as Atlanta's Tommy Hanson and Philadelphia's Cliff Lee did battle. Lee was magnificent going eight innings while allowing only three hits including a home run to Dan Uggla in the fifth. Lee even homered off of Hanson in the third accounting for Philadelphia's only run of the game. Hanson pitched seven strong innings while allowing four hits and striking out six.
George Sherrill worked out of a bases loaded jam in the tenth when he got John Mayberry to ground out harmlessly to first. He earns his second win of the season. Craig Kimbrel came on with a perfect inning in the 11th to earn his 28th save of the season. Michael Stutes takes the loss for the Phillies.
The rubber match of the series is tomorrow. Atlanta will send Derek Lowe to the mound to face off against Philadelphia lefty Cole Hamels.