Burrell's homer sends Phillies past Braves 4-3

[September 19, 2008]  ATLANTA, Ga. (AP) -- Pat Burrell hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the sixth inning and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Braves 4-3 on Thursday night to complete an unprecedented sweep of the nine-game season series in Atlanta.

The Phillies remained a half-game ahead of the Mets in the NL East with their season-best seventh straight win. New York beat Washington 7-2.

Philadelphia is the first team to sweep a season series longer than four games in Atlanta. They swept three three-game series at Turner Field by a combined score of 49-24.

The closest the team came to being swept in franchise history was almost 100 years ago. In 1909, the Boston Doves lost all 11 home games to the Chicago Cubs.

The Phillies lead the season series 13-2, their most wins against the Braves in a season with three games remaining in Philadelphia next week.

Cole Hamels (14-9) gave up six hits and two runs in six innings to improve to 3-0 in four starts against the Braves this season. The left-hander is 6-2 against Atlanta in his career.

Brad Lidge pitched a perfect ninth for his 38th save, including seven against the Braves.

The Phillies took a 2-0 lead in the first off Mike Hampton (2-3). Jayson Werth's triple to center drove in Chase Utley, who singled. Werth scored on Ryan Howard's fly ball to left.

Chipper Jones walked and scored on Brian McCann's double in the first, and the Braves tied the game in the second on Casey Kotchman's first homer since he was acquired from Texas on July 29. Mark Teixeira, sent to the Angels in the trade, has 11 homers for Los Angeles.

The 2-2 tie lasted until the sixth, when Burrell hit a two-run homer, his 32nd, about 10 rows into the left-field seats.

Hampton gave up six hits and four runs, two earned, in seven innings.

The Braves scored an unearned run off Ryan Madson in the seventh. Kelly Johnson reached on an infield single. Jones drew his second walk and Johnson scored when shortstop Jimmy Rollins dropped McCann's fly ball in front of Burrell in left field. It was only Rollins' seventh error.

Notes: Burrell has five homers against the Braves this season. ... Kotchman's homer was only his sixth extra-base hit in 114 at-bats with the Braves. ... The Braves announced before the game that manager Bobby Cox's six coaches will return in 2009. ... Johnson has a 16-game hitting streak after his infield hit, which was first ruled as a fielding error on Howard.

[Associated Press; By CHARLES ODUM]

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