Box Score (from ESPN.com)
By Nick Tricome
It took some time, but it finally happened.
Fresh off of being swept by the Nationals over the weekend, and after having to sit through an almost two-hour rain delay, the Phillies snapped an 11-game road losing streak and gave Charlie Manuel his 1,000th win as a manager.
Cole Hamels pitched a gem in Atlanta on Monday night, throwing a complete game with nine strikeouts in the Phils' 5-1 win.
Hamels threw 123 pitches to get the job done, allowing just one earned run in the ninth from an RBI ground-rule double by Chris Johnson.
Hamels even helped his own cause on offense, hitting a triple in the third inning. Jimmy Rollins brought him home with an RBI single to right field in the next at-bat to put the Phillies up 1-0.
The one-run lead was all that Hamels had to work with until the sixth.
With Darin Ruf and Chase Utley on first and second, Cody Asche hit a towering shot over the right field wall for a three-run homer.
Then Carlos Ruiz gave Hamels one more insurance run in the top of the ninth with an RBI single into center that scored Asche.
Asche got on base via a single, then made his first steal in the Majors by taking second in an at-bat that ended with John Mayberry Jr. striking out. Ruiz brought Asche home in the next at-bat to give the Phillies a 5-0 lead heading into the bottom half of the frame.
Hamels' got the win, improving his record to 5-13. In what has been a frustrating year for the Phillies' ace, a start like this was much needed.
It was just in time too, turning Monday night's game into a milestone. With the win, Manuel becomes the 59th manager in Major League history with 1,000 wins and is currently among seven other active managers who have achieved that feat (Bruce Bochy, Dusty Baker, Terry Francona, Davey Johnson, Jim Leyland, Mike Scioscia and Buck Showalter).
The Phillies lost 17 of their last 20 games heading into Monday night's game at Turner Field, so to see some effort from a team that has looked uninspired as of late is good to see.
The next game in the series will be on Tuesday night, with Ethan Martin (1-1, 6.75 ERA) taking the mound for the Phillies against Atlanta's Kris Medlen (9-10, 3.85 ERA).
(Image from MLB.com and the Associated Press)
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