Peterson’s 3-run homer helps Teheran and Braves end skids

“Julio threw great,” Peterson said. “Great to get a win and also to contribute. Hopefully we can keep it going and stay at it.”

After going 0-5 with a 7.88 ERA in 10 road starts since his opening-day win at Miami, Teheran ended the drought by limiting the surging Phillies to two runs and eight hits, with no walks and seven strikeouts. He did it by being aggressive — throwing more strikes, getting ahead in counts and pitching inside.

“He commanded all his pitches today and he pitched in to both sides of the plate,” said manager Fredi Gonzalez, whose Braves won for just the second time in their past 15 road games. “He did a nice job. His secondary pitches were working, his command was really good, he wiggled out of a couple of situations, especially in the seventh inning. Can’t ask for anything more than that.”

Teheran is 3-1 with a 1.95 ERA in four starts at Philadelphia, his best ERA at any major league stadium where he’s pitched more than once.

“Yeah, that’s the ballpark where I got my debut,” said the right-hander, before adding something that not many visiting pitchers have said about cozy Citizens Bank Park: “So every time I come here, it’s like I’m excited.”

The Phillies came in with the majors’ best record since the All-Star break (12-2) and were aiming for their first four-game sweep of the Braves at home since September 1949, when the Braves were the Boston Braves and the series was at Shibe Park. The last time the Phillies swept four from the Braves anywhere was May 1995 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.

“It’s always nice to get the win when you get on the plane, help your flight going home,” Gonzalez said. “And you never know. I think once you win a game, you feel like there’s a winning streak starting anytime.”

Peterson had his first three-hit game since June 14 and Jonny Gomes added two walks, two runs and an RBI single for the Braves, who won for the second time in 11 games. Peterson hit .159 with one homer, 35 strikeouts and a .455 OPS in his past 33 games before collecting two singles (one on a bunt) and his fourth home run.

The Braves trailed 1-0 entering the fifth inning, when Peterson capped a two-out rally by homering on 2-0 fastball from lefty Adam Morgan (2-3).

Cameron Maybin led off the inning with a walk, but Morgan retired the next two on fly-outs that didn’t advance the runner. Maybin moved up on a two-out balk with Chris Johnson batting and Johnson’s single brought in the tying run.

Gomes followed with a walk and his protégé Peterson got ahead in the count before driving a pitch to the right-field seats for a 4-1 lead. With one swing, Peterson produced as many runs as the Braves scored in any of their previous 10 games. They totaled 16 runs in that 1-9 stretch, scoring two or fewer seven times.

The six-run output by the Braves was the largest since their 7-4 win against the Dodgers on July 20.

Teheran allowed three consecutive two-out hits and a run in the fifth to cut the lead to 4-2. But he got Braves nemesis Ryan Howard on a grounder down the first-base line, with Freddie Freeman making a nice diving stop and tossing to Teheran covering for the inning-ending out with two runners on base.

The Braves totaled a meager 48 runs while dropping 16 of their past 20 games before Sunday. The skid began July 8 at Milwaukee when they blew a 4-0 lead in a 6-5 series-ending loss, then continued with a four-game sweep at Colorado that gave the Braves a five-game losing streak entering the All-Star break.