Phillies batter Braves 10-5 to complete sweep

photo Philadelphia Phillies' Ryan Howard swings on a pitch in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, on Wednesday, June 18, 2014, in Atlanta.

ATLANTA - Ryan Howard capped a big series by driving in two runs with three hits and the Phillies battered Aaron Harang and the Braves 10-5 on Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep.

Howard, who hit homers in each of the first two games of the series, drove in a run with a double in the Phillies' five-run second inning. He added a run-scoring single in the fifth. He had five hits, four walks and six RBIs in the series.

Marlon Byrd drove in three runs with three hits, including a homer.

Evan Gattis hit a two-run homer in Atlanta's four-run first inning off Roberto Hernandez (3-5). Ryan Doumit also homered and hit a two-run single for Atlanta.

The two Atlanta homers were not enough to overcome the Phillies' season-high 18 hits. Five Phillies had three hits.

Harang (5-6) allowed nine runs, eight earned, and 13 hits and three walks. He threw 115 pitches in only five innings.

The Phillies have won seven of nine. Atlanta has lost eight of 12.

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez tried a new lineup, and rookie Tommy La Stella was 0 for 4 with a walk in his first game hitting leadoff.

Hernandez overcame his rough first inning to last six innings, giving up five runs and eight hits and five walks. He had been 0-4 in eight starts since his last win on May 4 against Washington.

Trailing 4-2, the Phillies scored five runs in the second on six straight two-out hits, including a two-run single by John Mayberry Jr., who had three RBIs.

Shortstop Cesar Hernandez, batting leadoff for the first time this season, had three hits and scored two runs. Domonic Brown and Will Nieves also had three hits. Nieves left the game with an apparent leg injury after his ninth-inning double.

Antonio Bastardo and Ken Giles combined for three scoreless innings behind Hernandez.

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