Braves Sweep Phillies, Win Finale 2-1

Source: Yardbarker.com

An eight inning RBI single by Omar Infante pushed the Braves to a series sweep of the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. Wednesday’s game was a pitchers duel between Derek Lowe and Kyle Kendrick.

The Braves struck first on a ground ball double play by Chipper Jones that scored Martin Prado in the first inning. The Phillies answered back in the third on a Jayson Werth RBI single that scored catcher Brian Schneider. The score remained the same until the bottom half of the eighth inning when Omar Infante who was subbed in for an injured Chipper Jones singled to right center and Nate McLouth scored.

More after the jump………..

Derek Lowe had one of his finest starts of his Braves career going 8 innings, scattering 6 hits and striking out 7. Billy Wagner closed out the ninth walking one and striking out one to earn his ninth save of the season. Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick also pitched well tossing 7 innings of 5 hit baseball while allowing one earned run.

The Braves are now riding an eight game winning streak and have a two and a half game lead over the Phillies. Braves closer Billy Wagner talked about the club’s nine game losing streak and the current eight game winning streak:

"“A lot has to do with just the veteran presence of Bobby (Cox),” Wagner said. “He really never got too high or too low. Things are going our way, but he’s not making a big deal out of it. We have been playing good baseball. I know everybody likes to say that we haven’t played the upper echelons and you catch teams in a down period but that’s the key too it, getting lucky, that’s part of it. I’d rather be lucky than good.”"

If there was any bad news on the day it was the injury to Chipper Jones. Jones was replaced in the lineup by Omar Infante in the fifth inning after experiencing pain in his right ring finger. It is swollen and causing pain into the knuckle. Reports were that Jones could miss several days with the injury and may in fact have to have a cortisone shot.

It is a good thing that the Braves bench is playing the way it is. Omar Infante who had two hits including the game winner on Wednesday needs to get some at bats. In Chipper’s absence, Jason Heyward will probably assume the third spot in the batting order.

The Braves kick off an eleven game road trip tomorrow night in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. Kris Medlen will be on the hill for the Braves. Hiroki Kuroda will get the call for the Dodgers.