Braves' Hudson gets first win since early May
PHILADELPHIA -- Atlanta Braves pitcher Tim Hudson ended his drought Saturday night, in no small part because his teammates feasted on Philadelphia pitching.
The 37-year-old right-hander snapped a six-game losing streak -- a streak that encompassed a career-long 10 starts -- as the Braves rode a 19-hit attack to a 13-4 rout of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Veteran catcher Brian McCann matched his career high of four hits and Andrelton Simmons, Dan Uggla and Jason Heyward homered for the Braves, who tallied a season-high run total while ending a three-game losing streak.
Uggla, whose homer was his 16th of the season and second in as many nights, drove in three runs. Simmons had three hits, scored three times and had two RBIs.
Hudson (5-7) had not won since beating the New York Mets on May 5 but surrendered five hits and one run in seven innings. He struck out four, did not walk a batter and retired the last 11 batters he faced.
"It's nice, man," he said of the victory. "That (10-game) stretch is a long time not to get a win for anybody. There were times I crapped down my leg in those (10) games, and I had some bad luck. Tonight was a night when everything came together. It was nice to get on the board in the right column."
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said the effort was reflective of "the same old Huddy."
"We gave him a lead," Gonzalez said, "and every time we scored he went out and shut the team down."
McCann, who has hit in seven straight games, singled and scored on Uggla's homer in the second, singled in the third, doubled and scored in the fifth and singled in the eighth.
Heyward, B.J. Upton and Chris Johnson added two hits apiece, and Johnson drove in two runs.
Atlanta did much of its damage off Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick (7-6). He allowed a career-high 12 hits and six runs in five innings, including the homers by Simmons and Uggla, to drop his second straight start. It was just his second loss to the Braves in nine career decisions.
"They were being real aggressive," Kendrick said, "and I was making not-quality pitches."
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said, "He was having trouble in every inning. He was having trouble getting the ball down."
Simmons led off the first with a homer and Uggla added his two-run shot in the second, making it 3-0.
The Phillies countered with Jimmy Rollins' RBI single in the third, Justin Upton singled home a run in the fourth, giving Atlanta a 4-1 advantage.
The Braves tacked on two runs in the fifth with the aid of some loose play by Phillies third baseman Michael Young. Chris Johnson drove in the first with an infield bouncer and Hudson was credited with an RBI single when his two-out bouncer eluded Young.
Heyward added a three-run shot off reliever Joe Savery in the seventh, when the Braves scored four times. It was Heyward's seventh homer of the year.
Uggla had a sacrifice fly in the eighth. Simmons tripled home a run in the ninth and scored on Reed Johnson's single.
Atlanta reliever Alex Wood allowed a run in the eighth and David Carpenter yielded a two-run homer to Young in the ninth.
NOTES: Phillies LHP Cliff Lee and OF Domonic Brown were named to the National League All-Star team, Lee's fourth selection and Brown's first. ... Atlanta RHP Craig Kimbrel was also named to the squad for the third time and 1B Freddie Freeman is one of five NL players who could claim the final roster spot via fan vote. ... The Phillies placed 1B Ryan Howard on the disabled list with left-knee inflammation and recalled 1B/OF Darin Ruf from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. General manager Ruben Amaro said Howard would undergo an MRI Sunday on Monday. ... Simmons' homer was his second to lead off a game. He also hit one off Gio Gonzalez to start an April 30 game against Washington. ... Rollins extended his hitting streak to nine games and Phillies CF Ben Revere went 2-for-4, his 21st multi-hit game in the last 54.
