After Cole Hamels and Shelby Miller produced a pitching matchup that lived up to expectations on Sunday afternoon at Turner Field, Ryan Howard helped the Phillies claim a 4-0, 10-inning win over the Braves courtesy of the sacrifice fly he produced against Dana Eveland.

Before Nick Masset loaded the bases with none out in the 10th inning, this was a pitchers’ duel being waged between two teams that had recently gone in different directions. The Phillies had lost six straight and the Braves had won their past four games.
Miller escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and then kept the Phillies scoreless while scattering seven hits and notching eight strikeouts over 6 1/3 scoreless innings. The All-Star candidate lowered his ERA to 2.07, but he remains winless over his past nine starts. The Braves have not scored a run while he has been the pitcher of record in any of his past four starts.
Hamels also escaped a first-inning, bases-loaded threat on the way to keeping the Braves scoreless over seven innings. After surrendering A.J. Pierzynski’s one-out double in the fourth inning, the Phillies’ left-hander recorded consecutive strikeouts against Pedro Ciriaco and Jonny Gomes.
The Phillies loaded the bases with no outs in the 10th inning against Masset and Howard followed with a sacrifice fly to right field to score the first run of the game. Carlos Ruiz and Freddy Galvis followed with hits to score three insurance runs.
Miller recorded three strikeouts during a 24-pitch first inning that remained scoreless thanks to Ciriaco’s ability to knock down Ruiz’s two-out single before it reached left field. After pitching around two singles and a walk in the first, Miller proved sharp enough to keep the Phillies off the board.
Hamels allowed six hits and struck out six in seven scoreless innings, but got the no-decision. It was the eighth time in 17 starts this season the Phillies have not scored to score a run for Hamels while he has been the pitcher of record, explaining his 5-6 mark.
After Pierzynski’s one-out single gave the Braves runners at the corners with one out in the ninth, the Phillies utilized Cody Asche as an extra infielder and saw Luis Garcia escape the jam. Ciriaco lofted a fly ball that was not deep enough to score Kelly Johnson and Garcia concluded the inning by striking out Juan Uribe.
Cesar Hernandez swiped his 10th and 11th bases, and Galvis stole his sixth Sunday off of Pierzynski. Those steals — plus Odubel Herrera’s mistake on the bases in the fifth inning — brought Pierzynski’s caught-stealing percentage to 16 percent (41 of 49 have been successful), which is essentially the same as turning baserunners into Billy Hamilton (41-for-47, 87 percent).
Matt Wisler will take the mound when the Braves open a three-game series on Monday night against the Brewers at Miller Park. Wisler has impressed in two of his first three career starts. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. CT .  Thunder Radio will have the broadcast of the game beginning at 7:00 PM.

The Nashville offense provided the fireworks on Independence Day, launching four solo home runs in their 7-4 (in 10 innings) victory over Round Rock at Dell Diamond.

For the second straight night, Jake Smolinski gave the Sounds a 1-0 lead. The solo blast came in his first at bat against his former team. The outfielder joined the Sounds after Oakland claimed him off waivers from Texas on June 21.

The Sounds came into the night’s action owners of the league’s lowest home run total, a stat that is hard to believe after what happened in the sixth. In a span of just four pitches, Jason Pridie, Dayan Viciedo and Max Muncy all went deep off of Express starter Alec Asher, extending the Sounds lead to 4-1.

Sounds starter Zach Neal had it going on Saturday night. The right-hander used just 77 pitches, 59 of which were strikes, to get through seven innings. Neal didn’t walk an Express batter and struck out three. His only blemish on the night was a solo homer to Thomas Field in the fifth.

Arnold Leon recorded the first two outs of the eighth, but then surrendered three straight hits, including an RBI single to Jared Hoying, before striking out highly-touted Rangers prospect Joey Gallo to get out of the jam. Ryan Cook came in for the save and looked to have things locked up – till they were not. With two-outs and a runner on, Chris Gimenez hit his 5th homer of the season to send the game into extra-innings.

The Sounds wasted no time reclaiming the lead off of PCL All-Star Jon Edwards. Smolinski delivered the go-ahead RBI, doubling in Muncy, who had doubled the at bat prior. Smolinski then scored on an RBI single by catcher Carson Blair. Blair also would come around to score on a double by Joey Wendle. The steady second baseman had a nice night, going 3-for-6 with two doubles.

Jim Fuller retired the top of the Express order 1-2-3 to record his first save. Cook earned the win, improving to 4-1.

The teams will play the second game of the series Sunday. Cody Martin (0-0, 0.00) is expected to make his Sounds’ debut. The right-hander was acquired for international bonus slot 53 from Atlanta on Thursday. Phil Klein (1-0, 1.50) will get the ball for Round Rock. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.