Braves run winning streak to eight games, top Phillies 6-4

The Braves continued their hot hitting, getting back-to-back homers from Brian McCann and Chris Johnson in support of Kris Medlen, and extended their winning streak to eight games with a 6-4 win over the Phillies.

Phillies starter Ethan Martin looked impressive early in his major-league debut and led 2-0 after two innings on back-to-back home runs by Darin Ruf and Delmon Young off Medlen. Martin struck out four in the first two innings, but Atlanta cut into his team's lead when Jason Heyward chased home Andrelton Simmons in the third inning with a single to center.

Atlanta failed to score after loading the bases in the fourth, but in the fifth, answered Philly's back-to-back jacks when Brian McCann and Chris Johnson connected off Martin. Justin Upton had just tied the score with an RBI single, which followed Heyward's leadoff double before McCann crushed his 16th home run and Johnson his seventh. Joey Terdoslavich added an RBI double to cap the five-run inning. This was the fifth straight game in which Atlanta had such an inning; not since the 2007 Tigers had a team done that during the season.

The Phillies shaved two runs off Atlanta's lead in the sixth. Chase Utley's one-out homer necessitated review and then with two on, Cody Asche's groundout plated a fourth run, but Atlanta polished off the Phillies over the final three innings in securing an eighth straight win.

Kris Medlen completed six innings and struck out eight. Craig Kimbrel struck out two in the ninth in earning his 32nd save; Delmon Young was ruled to have struck out swinging despite clear evidence he fouled off the pitch, and Charlie Manuel was ejected for arguing the call.

In addition to his home run, Chris Johnson's seventh-inning double gave him eight straight multi-hit games. He joined Hank Aaron as the only Braves hitters to accomplish that feat.

Win Expectancy Chart