Braves waste many opportunities, lose to Phillies

By David O'Brien

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

PHILADELPHIA – Tim Hudson had another first-inning malfunction that put the Braves behind 2-0 against the Phillies on Tuesday night, but that wasn’t what cost them the game.

An 0-for-10 showing with runners in scoring position proved most costly for the Braves in a rain-delayed 6-3 loss against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

Dan Uggla hit his 33rd homer, and the Braves came back to tie before the Phillies scored two more runs off Hudson (14-9) in the sixth and two in the seventh off reliever Cristhian Martinez.

The loss was the fourth loss in five games for the Braves, who dropped to 9 1/2 games behind Philadelphia in the National League East.  Perhaps more important at this point, the Braves saw their wild-card lead trimmed to 7 1/2 games over St. Louis.

“It’s everybody, the whole gambit," said manager Fredi Gonzalez, whose Braves have scored 24 runs in the past nine games, and given up six or more runs five times in that 3-6 stretch. "Offensively we’ve got to score runs, and [on] the other side of the ball, we’re just kind of not getting deep into ballgames [with starting pitchers].

"That’s been the whole big ball of wax. That’s the whole thing right now. And I am real confident, real sure that we’ll get it turned around.”

The clubhouse was closed longer than usual after Tuesday's game, before general manager Frank Wren exited and reporters were let in to interview Gonzalez and players.

“We’re falling behind early, and we’ve got a couple of guys at the top of our lineup who are scuffling a little bit," Braves third baseman Chipper Jones said of the recent lackluster stretch. "When the top scuffles a little bit, you struggle to score runs. You get behind early, you put some pressure on yourselves."

There are only 21 games to play, and it would take a major collapse for the Braves to blow the rest of their lead. But given the state of their injury-diminished starting rotation, the Braves realize a postseason berth is not assured.

They play a three-game series at St. Louis beginning Friday, after a makeup doubleheader against the Mets in New York on Thursday.

But first things first: The Braves need a win Wednesday night to avoid being swept in a three-game series for the first time all season. (The Phillies and Braves are currently the only major league teams that can make that claim.)

The Braves will start Brandon Beachy against the Phillies’ Roy Oswalt in the series finale.

They wasted multiple scoring opportunities Tuesday, beginning with back-to-back strikeouts by Uggla and Jones with two runners on in the first inning.

They let Phillies rookie starter Vance Worley (11-1) off the hook several times more. The right-hander gave up seven hits and two runs in six innings,  improving to 7-0 in 10 starts since the All-Star break, and 6-0 with a 2.06 ERA in 10 home starts this season.

“We couldn’t get the big hit, and that’s what he’s done all year," Jones said of Worley.  "If he’s gotten into trouble, he’s made pitches to get himself out of it. It was no different tonight. We had the bases loaded with nobody out, and he only gave up one. Couple other times, a gapper would have scored a couple of runs. But I give him credit.

"That’s the first time I’ve faced him, and he’s pretty good.”

After a one-out single by Michael Bourn in the third inning, Martin Prado grounded into a double play and Brian McCann struck out.

Uggla, the freshly minted NL player of the month for August, led off the fourth with his 33rd homer, tying his career-best total set last season with the Marlins. It was the first of three consecutive hits to start the inning for the Braves, but Worley limited the damage by striking out Alex Gonzalez and Jose Constanza before Hudson grounded out.

Bourn led off the fifth with the second of his three hits, and slumping Prado grounded into another double play.

Prado is 7-for-50 (.140) with one extra-base hit in his past 13 games. He's hit .217 in 31 games since the Braves traded for speedy leadoff hitter Michael Bourn, who bats in front of Prado.

The Braves tied the score in the sixth after Worley walked two of the first three batters, sandwiched around a Jones double. Gonzalez’s sacrifice fly drove in the tying run, but Constanza and Hudson flied out as the Braves stranded two more runners.

“They had a couple of opportunities and took advantage of it," said Hudson, who was charged with four runs,  six hits and four walks in six innings. "We had some opportunities throughout the night and they were able to wiggle their way out of it a little bit and limit our scoring.

"I felt like we let one get away. I’ve got to do a little better job myself. I’ve got to make some better pitches. This is a game we need to win. It’s a game we should have won.”

Hudson gave up four hits in the first inning, then no hits in the next four before running into trouble in the sixth. Hudson has allowed a .290 average in first innings this season, and a .219 average after the first.

After a Ryan Howard leadoff walk in the sixth, Hunter Pence and Raul Ibanez each doubled. Before Ibanez’s RBI hit, Howard scored on a wild pitch high and wide.

It was the second time in three starts that Hudson allowed four runs, after giving up three or fewer in his previous 14  starts.

“The first inning, couple of quick outs and then the homer to Utley with two strikes. That hurt right there," Hudson said. "Then they managed to squeeze in another when Ibanez hit a pitch off the end [of his bat] and was able to drop it in there. I didn’t feel particularly great tonight, but I was able to go out and keep us in the game.

“That sixth inning, they just took advantage of some opportunities. Leadoff walk, obviously that ain’t something you want to do, I don’t care who is hitting. Even though it’s Howard and he’s usually pretty good in this park, you can’t walk him right there."

The start was delayed 1 hour, 52 minutes, and the game was played in intermittent showers and didn't end until nearly midnight.