PHILADELPHIA -- Given an opportunity to control their
playoff hopes, the Philadelphia Phillies turned into scoreboard
watchers again.
Mark Teixeira hit a three-run homer and Chipper Jones had a
two-run shot, helping the Atlanta Braves keep their slim playoff
hopes alive with a 10-6 victory over Philadelphia on Tuesday night.
The Phillies entered tied with San Diego for the NL wild-card
lead, but missed an opportunity to put pressure on the Padres. San
Diego played at San Francisco later.
Philadelphia remained two games behind the East-leading Mets,
who lost 10-9 to Washington. The Phillies and Mets have five games
remaining.
"Our team knows what they have to do," manager Charlie Manuel
said. "We've been coming back all year, scratching and clawing.
We'll keep playing."
Jimmy Rollins hit a solo homer to become the second player in
team history with 30 homers and 30 stolen bases in the same season.
Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth and Chase Utley also connected for the
Phillies (85-72).
Atlanta (83-74) has won nine of 11 and needs to keep winning and
get some help to reach the playoffs after a one-year absence. The
Braves won an unprecedented 14 straight division titles, before
missing out last season.
"We know what we have to do. We have to win," manager Bobby
Cox said. "We'll give it our best shot."
Pat Burrell's sacrifice fly off Jeff Bennett (2-0) gave the
Phillies their first lead, 5-4 in the fifth, but Atlanta answered
quickly against Jamie Moyer (13-12) in the sixth. Jeff Francoeur
doubled to start the inning and Andruw Jones followed with an RBIs
single to tie it.
Moyer pitched to one more batter, retiring Brian McCann on a
bouncer to the mound. Geoff Geary entered and Matt Diaz lined his
first pitch for an RBIs single to give the Braves a 6-5 lead. After
Yunel Escobar doubled with two outs, Edgar Renteria hit a two-run
single to make it 8-5.
"It was a matter of keeping the momentum and I didn't do a good
job of it," Moyer said.
Utley's solo homer off Manny Acosta in the seventh cut it to
8-6. Chipper Jones connected off Tom Gordon in the ninth for
insurance runs.
Desperate to see their Phillies end a 14-year playoff drought, a
crowd of 39,129 cheered wildly and frantically waved white-and-red
"Fightin' Phils" towels. They left disappointed.
"Every game we approach the same way. We try to win," Utley
said. "There's no extra pressure added."
Moyer gave up six runs and six hits in 5 1-3 innings. The
44-year-old left-hander has one win in five starts this month,
though he pitched well in his previous two outings.
Braves starter Chuck James didn't fare any better. He allowed
four runs and three hits, all homers, in 3 2-3 innings. Bennett
gave up one run in 1 1-3 innings.
After Rollins hit a leadoff homer, James cruised until the
fourth. He retired 10 straight, striking out five, before running
into trouble.
The left-hander walked Burrell on four pitches and fell behind
Howard 2-0, prompting a visit from pitching coach Roger McDowell.
Whatever he said didn't help.
Howard hit the next pitch over the Phillies' bullpen in center
field for his 43rd homer. With two outs, Werth went deep to tie it
at 4.
Moyer got in trouble right from the start. Escobar led off with
a double and Renteria walked. Moyer got Chipper Jones to pop out to
first, but Teixeira hit a drive high off the brick batter's eye in
center field to make it 3-0. Moyer nearly struck out Teixeira
looking on two close pitches that painted both corners. Plate
umpire CB Bucknor didn't give Moyer the call, so he threw one down
the middle and Teixeira ripped it.
"Two weeks ago, it looked like we were out of it," Francoeur
said. "Maybe we can sneak in the back door."
One pitch before he hit his 26th career leadoff homer and ninth
this season, Rollins hooked a shot just outside the foul pole in
left.
As he rounded the bases, fans chanted "M-V-P." The
switch-hitting shortstop is having the best season of his career
and is a main reason Philadelphia is in the playoff race.
Rollins, who is only 5-foot-7 and 170 pounds, is the first
player in major league history to have at least 200 hits, 15
triples, 25 homers and 25 steals in the same year.
McCann's RBIs single in the fourth gave Atlanta a 4-1 lead.<
^Notes: Utley extended his hitting streak to 19 games. ... Rollins,
who has 37 steals, joins Bobby Abreu as the only Phillies to have
30-30 seasons. Abreu did it in 2001 and 2004. ... Teixeira has 52
RBIs in 50 games with the Braves. ... James has allowed 32 homers
in 30 starts.