5-Run Inning Fuels Braves Over Phillies
By Brad Stiene
Aug 2, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann (16) celebrates hitting a two run home run with third baseman Chris Johnson (23) during the fifth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Stop me if you’ve heard this before. The Braves had yet another big scoring inning tonight, this time by the five-run variety, en route to a 6-4 victory over the Phillies in Philadelphia.
The offense continues to shine during this eight-game win streak and it continued tonight. During this eight-game win streak, the offense has score 57 runs, has had 94 hits and 11 homeruns in last eight games. That’s getting the job done and that’s a very good reason why they’ve been extremely hot.
Speaking of hot offense, Chris Johnson had two more hits in Friday night’s game. That gives him eight straight multi-hit games and ties Hank Aaron’s franchise record for most consecutive multi-hit games. He’s now batting .345 for the season and assuming Johnson is in the lineup tomorrow, he will have a chance to make history. So needless to say, make sure you tune in.
Brian McCann displayed his power again tonight launching a mammoth two-run shot to give the Braves a 4-2 lead at the time. McCann is continually getting better as the season goes on and is hitting rockets every time he makes contact. He’s going to be a key if the Braves want to make a run in the postseason
If you didn’t listen to the podcast last night (and seriously why wouldn’t you) we mentioned the fact that since Fredi Gonzalez has tweaked the lineup a bit, the Braves have started to score at will. It all starts with Heyward’s ability to get on base and set the table for the guys behind him. It was on showcase again tonight as they were able to finally figure out Phillies’ starter and Georgia native Ethan Martin. I will say that the Phillies do have a very good future if they are able to hold on to Martin.
It was a so-so night for Braves’ starter Kris Medlen on the mound tonight. Medlen went six innings and allowed six hits, four runs, walked a batter and struck out eight. The bad news was that Medlen gave up three home runs, but the good news is that they were all solo shots. Medlen has had a lot of trouble in the past in Philadelphia, but Braves fans can be happy that he was able to work around those three home runs and notch a win.
The Braves are back at it tomorrow on National T.V. against the Phillies at 3:05. Brandon Beachy takes the mound looking to bounce back from a rough 2013 debut and will be opposed by John Lannan.