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

Stop me if you’ve heard this before — the Braves’ starter gave up a bunch of runs early and a furious comeback by the offense came up short. I blame Roger McDowell. Nothing else has changed, but suddenly the Braves’ starters can’t get through the first two innings without giving up four or more runs. Today it was Davies, five runs in the first. Roddy McDowall could do a better job as pitching coach, and he’s dead.

Davies gave up four homers, three in the first and one in the fifth, which chased him, six runs overall. Remlinger finished the fifth. Cormier pitched two innings and allowed one run. Villareal and Ray pitched scoreless innings to keep the team alive.

Jeff Francoeur finally escaped from whereever he was held and deposed the imposter, hitting two homers including a two-run shot in the eighth that cut the Phillie lead to a run. The Braves actually had two on and one out in the ninth but couldn’t get the tying run in. Langerhans had two hits — a double and a triple — and two walks, but made his only out to finish the game. Andruw had two sac-fly RBI.

The Padres come in for three starting tomorrow. Hudson will be in to give up six over four innings, and hopefully the Braves can come back against Chan Ho Park. Smoltz faces Jake Peavy in the second game.