Atlanta Braves complete sweep of Philadelphia Phillies

PHILADELPHIA — Matt Kemp and Freddie Freeman hit home runs, Julio Teheran was on the right end of a pitcher’s duel with Jake Thompson, and the Atlanta Braves earned a 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday.

The Atlanta win completed a three-game sweep of the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies have now lost six straight and 10 of their last 12 while the Braves have won 10 of their last 14.

Kemp’s home run led off the second inning. The Atlanta outfielder waited on an 0-1 changeup from Thompson and belted it into the seats for his 28th of the season and an early 1-0 Braves lead.

From there, it was largely about the two young starting pitchers.

Teheran, 25, didn’t allow a hit until Maikel Franco led off the fourth inning with a single.

In improving to 5-9 on the season, Teheran allowed five hits, struck out seven and walked two in six innings of work. He threw 109 pitches.

Thompson, 22, who was coming off the best start of his young career, allowed just the one run in seven innings. He scattered four hits, struck out six and walked four (one intentionally).

Both pitchers needed to work out of trouble late in their outings. The Braves loaded the bases in both the sixth and seventh innings, but each time Thompson was able to induce a groundout (a double play in the sixth) to get out of trouble.

The Phillies also loaded the bases in back-to-back innings. In the fifth, Franco’s slow roller to third got Teheran out of trouble. And in the sixth, Teheran was lucky Peter Bourjos’ two-out, bases-loaded line drive to right field was right at Nick Markakis.

Not to be outdone by Kemp’s 28th, Freeman led off the eighth inning with his 29th home run of the year to give the Braves a little breathing room.

The Braves’ bullpen took it from there, throwing three hitless innings. Jim Johnson earned his 15th save, striking out the side in the ninth.