The Philadelphia Phillies are well on their way to taking a crucial series at home against the Atlanta Braves, posting a 4-1 advantage through the fifth inning. The Braves took a 1-0 lead in the second inning after a Ryan Howard error sent Dan Uggla home, but that edge was short-lived.
Derek Lowe has given up all four runs, all of them earned, though Chase Utley scored in the third thanks to a turnabout error by Uggla. Atlanta may elect to let Lowe work through the tough start, since Jonny Venters and Craig Kimbrel have been kept mighty busy as of late.
With Cole Hamels having given up only three hits through five, the Braves are going to need an outburst if they're going to get the franchise's 10,000th all-time win before the All-Star break. If they don't get it today, it might never happen. That's probably not true.
For more Braves, visit Talking Chop. For more Phillies, head to The Good Phight.