PHILADELPHIA -- Before the Phillies were able to record an out on Friday night, the Braves had already generated more than enough offense for Julio Teheran.
The Braves knew their best opportunity to score against opposing pitcher Kyle Kendrick would come in the first inning, and they took advantage in their 4-2 victory at Citizens Bank Park.
Kendrick entered the game with a 7.80 ERA (13 earned runs in 15 innings pitched) in the first inning. After the Braves were done with him, he saw his ERA in the opening frame rise to 9.00.
 
Freeman drives in four to back Teheran in 4-2 win over Phillies
 
Leadoff hitter B.J. Upton singled and Andrelton Simmons walked to set the stage for Freddie Freeman. Atlanta's first baseman brought both runners home on a moonshot to straightaway center field, his 13th home run of the season.
Kendrick needed 33 pitches to escape the first.
In the second inning, Freeman, who finished a triple away from the cycle, tacked on his fourth RBI of the night. Simmons singled with two outs, and Freeman's ensuing double allowed him to come around to score and put Atlanta up, 4-0.
Teheran, meanwhile, was rolling through the first three frames. He used a double play to get through the first and third, and set down the 4-5-6 six hitters in the second.
But the 23-year-old righty ran into trouble in the fourth, and much of it was not his fault.
Ben Revere tripled to leadoff the inning, and Jimmy Rollins grounded out in the next at-bat for the RBI.
Then, after Chase Utley singled, the Braves botched a double-play opportunity. Ryan Howard hit a ball to Dan Uggla, who flipped it to Simmons at second base. But the throw was on the opposite side of the bag, and Simmons dropped it as he had to reach across his body.
In the following at-bat, Marlon Byrd flied to left-center field, where Justin Upton took an awkward route to the ball that fell in front of him for an RBI single.
But that was all the Phillies would score. After pitching coach Roger McDowell visited the mound, Teheran got Cody Asche to fly out. Teheran then battled John Mayberry Jr. for 10 pitches before Gerald Laird made a mound visit of his own.
With pitcher and catcher back on the same page, Teheran used a 94-mph fastball on the next pitch to get Mayberry to foul-tip into Laird's glove to end the threat.
Teheran went seven innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits and no walks while striking out nine to lower his ERA to 2.34.
Erik Bacharach / MLB.com
 

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