Howard back in form
A Phillies road trip that started like a jaunt through L.A. with Lindsay Lohan behind the wheel concluded Sunday in Atlanta as if none of the madness – defensive meltdowns, beanballs and an injured closer – had happened.
A sweep can do that.
The Phillies pounded the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field, 13-6. They swept the Braves for the first time since April 20-22, 2001, at Veterans Stadium, and swept a series in Atlanta for the first time since a four-game series May 5-8, 1995, at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.
“It definitely shows we’re on our game and we’re getting back to what we know best,” Phillies lefthander Cole Hamels said.
Ryan Howard got back to hitting home runs after returning to the lineup Friday following 15 days on the disabled list with a strained left quadriceps. He hit a two-out, two-run homer to right field in the first inning to help the Phillies to a 2-0 lead and hit a two-run homer to left-center in the eighth to make it 13-3.
Howard hit .364 (4 for 11) with a double, two home runs, six RBIs and three intentional walks in the series.
“He’s a top-notch player,” said Hamels, who allowed three runs in six innings to improve to 7-2. “He’s been battling to find himself and putting a lot of pressure on himself. I think coming off the DL, he’s realizing that he doesn’t need to put as much pressure on himself and I think he feels a lot more comfortable, too, because his body’s in check. He’s healthy. To go out there and do what he did today, I know we can count on him for the next couple series and obviously the remainder of the year.”
“Guys have been picking me up all year, and that’s the whole thing,” Howard said. “You want guys to go out there and get the job done. I was able to come up in the first, get a good pitch and kind of take advantage of it.”
The Phillies, whose 13 runs were a season high, scored a season-high seven runs in the fifth inning.
It started with Shane Victorino’s bunt single with one out. Chase Utley doubled and Braves righthander Kyle Davies intentionally walked Howard to load the bases. Aaron Rowand singled to score Victorino. Greg Dobbs, who also hit a two-run homer in the first, singled to score Utley, making it 6-1. Two more runs scored before Jimmy Rollins, who tripled and scored in the first, cleared the bases with a two-run double to make it 11-1.
Clearing the bases
Right-hander Kevin Millwood threw five scoreless innings for Double-A Frisco in a rehab assignment at Frisco, Texas, and is scheduled to return to the Texas Rangers’ rotation this week. … Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz was not in the starting lineup against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, because of sore hamstrings. … Anthony Reyes, who won the World Series opener for the St. Louis Cardinals last fall but has lost 10 straight regular- season decisions, was sent to Triple-A Memphis.