Phillies capitalize on Braves’ mistakes in win

PHILADELPHIA — Manager Ryne Sandberg insisted during the last week that his Philadelphia Phillies team needed to get back to playing good fundamental baseball as fielding woes and offensive struggles led to his team losing three of their previous four games.

Sunday, though, the Phillies used a little small ball in the middle innings and capitalized on the opposing team’s fielding mistake, winning 5-4 against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park.

The Phillies (7-12) manufactured a run in the fifth inning to break a 3-3 tie, and again in the seventh inning to get an insurance run.

“(We had) good sacrifice bunts to create opportunities,” Sandberg said.

Shortstop Freddy Galvis led off the fifth inning with a single to right field. Phillies starting pitcher Jerome Williams then sacrificed bunted him into scoring position before left fielder Ben Revere roped an RBI triple down the right field line to put the Phillies ahead for good 4-3.

Then in the seventh inning, Galvis started another run-scoring rally with a leadoff single before again being sacrificed to second base, this time by pinch-hitter Andres Blanco. After Revere struck out looking, center fielder Odubel Herrera chopped a ball to first base, but Freddie Freeman’s toss to pitcher Ian Thomas at first couldn’t be handled, allowing Galvis to score from second to extend the lead to 5-3. Freeman committed three errors in the series.

“In this ballpark, one run is easier to get back than two,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “That hurt a little bit. It was a chopper, it’s tough with a left-handed guy covering the bag. If you don’t lead him just enough, it’s going to be tough for him to make an adjustment.”

Williams (2-1, 3.80 ERA) struggled early but worked out of jams and settled in during the game’s middle innings.

He was relieved in the top of the seventh inning with two outs after giving up a single to Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons. Phillies reliever Luis Garcia was able to get first baseman Freddie Freeman to ground out to end the inning.

Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon returned to action after missing the club’s last two games due to illness. He allowed a one-out home run by pinch-hitter Alberto Callaspo before picking up his fourth save in as many opportunities.

The final two outs after Callaspo’s home run didn’t come easy. After striking out Nick Markakis, Papelbon gave up a line drive single to Simmons and then walked Freeman. With two men aboard, third baseman Kelly Johnson then smashed a ball deep to left field that Revere caught at the wall.

“He hung in there,” Sandberg said of Papelbon. “It was a little scary there at the end, going up against the (wall). But he got the job done.”

Williams allowed eight hits and three runs in the win, striking out two while also walking a pair.

Both starting pitchers needed more than 20 pitches just to get through their first innings.

Williams allowed two Braves to reach base via walks in the top of the first, which led to a two-run single by Braves second baseman Jace Peterson to open the scoring. It almost got worse, as Braves catcher Christian Bethancourt hit a long fly ball to left-center field, but it only reached the warning track for the final out.

The Phillies responded in the bottom of the first inning with three runs of their own against Braves starter Trevor Cahill (0-3, 8.03 ERA). With two men on base, Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard worked an 0-2 count full before clubbing a line drive home run into the seats in right-center field to put the Phillies up 3-2. It was his second homer in as many games and third in his last five.

“(Cahill) left a changeup up in the strike zone to Ryan Howard after getting him 0-2,” Gonzalez said. “Ryan didn’t chase the balls in the dirt. He just left it up over the plate just a little bit too much. With (Howard), he’s so strong, he hit it out of the ballpark and got three runs.”

Atlanta tied the game at three in the top of the third as Freeman and Johnson each hit doubles in the inning.