Three home runs backed another solid effort from Jair Jurrjens as the Braves beat the Phillies in the rubber game, 5-2.
The Braves scored all five runs on three long balls. Alex Gonzalez hit a two-run shot in the second inning to put the Braves ahead, 2-0. After the Phillies scored a run in the third on an RBI single by Placido Polanco, Atlanta came back with a run in the fifth on a solo homer by Freddie Freeman.
Jurrjens and Co. kept the score 3-1 through seven innings, and the Braves added two insurance runs in the eighth when Eric Hinske hit a two-run home run off the bench for a 5-1 lead. The Phillies answered with a run in the home half when Shane Victorino tripled and scored on a single by Polanco for a 5-2 score, where it remained.
Freeman went 3-4 with a homer, RBI and two runs scored. Gonzalez went 1-3 with a home run and two RBIs, and he left late in the game with a slight groin strain. Hinske had two RBIs on a home run. Nate McLouth had a single and two walks. Martin Prado went 1-3 with a walk.
The 2-5 hitters in the Braves lineup went 1-15 with one walk and seven strikeouts.
Jurrjens allowed one run on eight hits in 6.1 innings, walking one and striking out two. He allowed a single to Pete Orr with one out in the seventh and was pulled for Eric O'Flaherty, who induced a double play to end the inning. Jurrjens induced nine groundouts to five flyouts, throwing 91 pitches, 54 for strikes. He didn't have his best stuff, including a fastball that sat 88-91, but he showed flashes of good movement and location, and he worked with a good ground ball rate.
Jonny Venters had easily the worst outing of his season so far, yet he allowed just one run on three hits in one inning. He entered the game having allowed just two fly balls all season, but he induced three in this inning. He left two on with a three-run lead.
Craig Kimbrel shut the door with a scoreless ninth.
Cole Hamels allowed three runs on five hits in seven innings, walking one and striking out nine. All three runs came on two home runs, and he pitched well otherwise, inducing five groundouts to one flyout. Michael Stutes gave up the Hinske home run in the eighth.
Polanco had two hits and two RBIs. Victorino went 2-4 with a triple and run scored. Rollins scored the other run with a single and walk.
For more on the series, Braves fans check out Talking Chop and Phillies fans check out The Good Phight.