Atlanta Braves take first game of doubleheader, Ervin Santana picks up much-needed win

Ervin Santana is finally back in the win column after leading the Atlanta Braves to a 10-3 game one victory against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Santana was coming off of three straight losing starts and four straight without a win. He tossed 6.2 innings and allowed just two runs, while working around seven hits and a walk. We mentioned before the game that this would be one to watch for Santana, and it’s nice to see that he put together a quality start.

Behind him, the offense finally went off despite an unorthodox (to say the least) lineup that featured B.J. Upton and Andrelton Simmons in the 1 and 2 spots. Justin Upton and fan-favorite Chris Johnson both had two hits during the first game, and combined to drive in five runs and score two.

While Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward both went hitless in this one, it looks like they’re seeing the ball well. Freeman walked three times and scored four runs, while Heyward walked twice, drove in a run and scored one as well.

In addition, Tommy La Stella, who’s faded a bit since his hot start in the bigs, had a bases-clearing triple in the eighth inning.

All in all, it was a great start to the doubleheader for the Braves and with one more win they will take the series. Next up is David Hale, and his start should be even more interesting than Santana’s because he hasn’t taken the hill to start a game since April.

Stay tuned.