If the Braves needed to drown out any sorrows Friday night, after watching one of their top trade targets, Zack Greinke, acquired by the Angels, Ben Sheets was the perfect man for the job.
Sheets keeps making his own case for being one of the bigger impact acquisitions in the majors this month. He pitched six strong innings to win his third consecutive game for the Braves, 6-1 over the Phillies.
Sheets gave up one run in the first inning to break his 12-inning scoreless streak over his first two starts, but no more over the next five innings. The 34-year-old with the bionic arm is 3-0 with a 0.50 ERA since returning from two years out of the game following two elbow operations.
Sheets' batterymate Brian McCann did what he has done in every game he has played against the Phillies this season — hit a home run. He gave Sheets a 5-1 cushion with a three-run shot in the fifth inning. McCann has hit a home run in each of the six games he's played against the Phillies, including two grand slams.
McCann hit a grand slam to help the Braves rally from 6-0 down against Roy Halladay on May 2 on their way to a 15-13 win in 11 innings. That game snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Phillies. Since then the Braves have won five of six against their National League East rival and four in a row.
The Braves spoiled Cole Hamels' first start for the Phillies since he signed a six-year $144 million extension Wednesday. Hamels might have been a little amped up, or at least not on his game. He had a career-high six walks, threw more balls than strikes (56 balls to 53 strikes) and lasted a season-low five innings.
The Braves took advantage of all the freebie base runners as well as two errors committed by the Phillies. Third baseman Mike Fontenot misplayed a ground ball by Sheets, with the bases loaded and two outs, that allowed the Braves to break through with their first of two runs in the second inning. Michael Bourn helped tack on another run in the sixth by reaching third on John Mayberry's error in left field.
Chipper Jones doubled twice in three at-bats against Hamels to continue his hot streak. He has hit safely in 23 of his past 25 games, including eight straight, while hitting 34-for-92 (.370). His second double in the fifth inning tied him with Reds great Pete Rose for second all-time in extra-base hits among switch-hitters. Jones now has No. 1,041.
Sheets' fastball was not quite as lively Friday as it had been in his first two starts, sometimes settling at 89 mph, not the 91-92 mph he maintained for much of his first two starts. But that didn't change his effectiveness. He has beaten the Mets, Nationals and Phillies to help the Braves go 11-4 this month against the NL East.
He gave up two hits in his first four pitches Friday to allow his first run. Jimmy Rollins singled and Shane Victorino doubled to drive him in. But after a two-out walk to Carlos Ruiz, Sheets coaxed a ground out from Hunter Pence to end the inning. That was the first of eight he retired in a row before Ruiz doubled in the fourth.
The Phillies threatened in the seventh by loading the bases with two outs against reliever Jonny Venters, but he struck out Ryan Howard to end the inning.
