Braves 5, Phailies 2

ESPN.com - MLB - Box Score - Phillies at Braves

Walkoff homers are so fun. Andruw had this one, a three-run shot with one out in the ninth while Joe Simpson was busy in the booth trashing him for looking awkward at the plate. (Joe's seen Andruw even more than I and should know that Andruw often looks awkward at the plate while simultaneously hitting colossal homers. I was surprised Joe didn't criticize him for not singling to right instead.)

Tim Hudson went eight and allowed just four hits, all singles, and one walk. Unfortunately, three of the hits came in one inning, the sixth, punctuated by a stolen base, and the Phillies got two runs out of it, overcoming the Braves one-run lead on a Hudson groundout. Chipper came back and tied it with a homer in the bottom of the inning.

After blowing a chance to take the lead in the eighth, in which Hudson was hit for (he had thrown 94 pitches), Gonzalez came in. If you hadn't heard, Bob Wickman was placed on the DL with the unlikely-sounding condition of "upper back tendinitis" and Chad Paronto was called up. Gonzalez and Soriano will share closer duties; Mike did his part tonight by blowing away Utley, Howard, and Burrell.

He picked up the win on Andruw's homer. KJ had led off the inning with a single. (He'd walked three times earlier in the game.) Renteria botched the bunt and the Phillies got KJ at second. Chipper was walked. (Joe claimed this was semi-intentional, but only a lunatic would walk the winning run into scoring position. Of course, this is Charlie Manuel.) Andruw followed, game over.

Willie Harris played left and went 1-3. All the Braves' starters had hits, including Hudson; Andruw and Francoeur had two.

(Crossposted on the new Bravesjournal. I'm afraid comments from here probably won't make it there. This place is going to stay up but tomorrow's game thread will be in the new place.)