Gattis hit two long home runs, but they were the only hits Atlanta could muster off Philadelphia Phillies starter Cole Hamels as they fell 3-2 in the final contest of a three-game series sweep.
"I saw some good pitches to hit today," Gattis said. "But we lost the game. So we just have to get back after them tomorrow."
Gattis' first, in the second inning, traveled 480 feet to center field. In the seventh, he tied the game with a long ball that went deep into the left-field bleachers. It was his first career multi-homer game. He just missed another potential home run in the fifth, but the ball died at the warning track in dead center field.
"He swung with everything he had in him. I felt like I was throwing a golf ball out there and he had a driver," Hamels said. "He's probably gonna be in that strongest man competition at the end of the year, and I'm definitely gonna vote for him, because he'll win. It was impressive. You're trying to work a couple pitches in just to get ahead and he definitely didn't let me have it."
Darin Ruf hit a tiebreaking solo homer in the eighth inning to back a strong outing by Hamels (7-13).
The Phillies' left-hander gave up just two hits and two runs over eight innings. He struck out nine, walked two and retired the side in order four times.
"He gave us some fits today," Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez said.
B.J. Rosenberg earned his first career save with a perfect ninth inning.
The Braves had just 10 hits in the series.
"We didn't do much offensively the whole series," Gonzalez said. "We wanted to win two of three but we didn't swing the bats."
David Carpenter (3-1) took the loss for allowing Ruf's homer in the eighth.
Chase Utley doubled and Ruf singled to knock in the Phillies' first two runs in the first inning. Utley and Ruf both finished with two hits apiece.
Braves starter Paul Maholm went six innings and allowed two runs on seven hits, three walks and a hit batter. He struck out five and stranded seven Phillies baserunners.
"He gave us a great opportunity to win the game," Gonzalez said.
Two baserunning blunders by Cesar Hernandez may have cost the Phillies extra runs. He was picked off in the first inning and thrown out by Joey Terdoslavich attempting to go first to third in the fifth inning.
Philadelphia squandered a chance for more runs in the sixth. After the first two men reached base via a walk and an error, Freddy Galvis grounded into a double play and Hamels struck out.
B.J. Upton, who went 0 for 4, finished the series 0 for 12 with seven strikeouts. B.J. and Justin Upton are hitless in their last 32 at-bats combined.
"They pitched well all three games," B.J. Upton said. "We were in all three games, it just didn't work out. ... We're fine. We'll come back to play tomorrow."
NOTES: Atlanta LHP Scott Downs is considered day-to-day with a non-displaced fracture to the tip of his right ring finger. Down left Saturday's game after being hit on his glove hand with a line drive. ... Braves OF Justin Upton, hitless in 16 at-bats entering Sunday, did not start. He entered as a pinch hitter in the eighth and struck out. ... Atlanta, which owns baseball's best home record at 51-20, is just 34-37 on the road. ... Atlanta heads Monday to Miami, where Kris Medlen (12-12, 3.48) will take the hill.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2013/9/265361