PHILADELPHIA — Brian McCann finally gets to experience the break part of the All-Star break.
Too bad for McCann it’s time to rest right when his bat finally got hot.
McCann homered for the third straight game in the series and Dan Uggla hit a two-run shot to lead the Atlanta Braves to a three-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies in a 4-3 win on Sunday.
McCann hit a grand slam on Friday, a solo shot on Saturday, then hit the go-ahead homer in the seventh inning off Raul Valdes (2-2). McCann has homered in four straight games overall and has helped Atlanta head into the All-Star break on a four-game winning streak.
McCann is staying home this year after the six-time NL All-Star catcher failed to make the team for the first time in a full season in his career.
“I’m in a place I haven’t been in a while,” he said. “It’s weird not going. Now, it’s four days to get your body rested.”
McCann’s two-run homer against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday to snap a 58 at-bat streak without going deep was a preview for his Philadelphia power show. His 13th homer off the season on a straightaway solo shot made it 4-3 and made a winner out of starter Jair Jurrjens (3-2). Jurrjens allowed six hits, three runs and struck out four over seven innings to win his second straight start. He’s 5-1 against the Phillies over his last eight starts.
Craig Kimbrel worked a scoreless ninth for his 25th save.
The Phillies may need more than four days to recover from a dreadful first half.
The five-time NL East champion Phillies are staggering heading into the break. They have lost 10 of 11 games and are 13 games under .500 (37-50). The Phillies lost 60 games all of last season.
Jason Pridie homered, doubled and had three RBIs as a last-minute replacement for Shane Victorino, who was scratched after the badly slumping outfielder was scheduled to hit seventh. Manager Charlie Manuel said he made the call because Victorino was “down” about his recent slump.
“He’s got a lot on his mind, I guess,” Manuel said.
Uggla tied the game in the fourth when he snapped an 0 for 20 skid with a two-run homer, his 12th, to center.
The Braves hope the All-Star break will give shortstop Andrelton Simmons some time to heal after he left with a fractured pinky finger on his right hand on a headfirst slide into first. Simmons entered batting .292 with three home runs and 15 RBIs. He was named NL rookie of the month for June.
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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