PHILADELPHIA -- After watching Greg Maddux get hammered once again, fill-in starter Trey Hodges knew he had to deliver.
Hodges pitched into the fifth inning and Andruw Jones and Robert Fick both homered as the Braves bounced back from a lopsided defeat with a 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night.
After Maddux gave up 10 runs in a 16-2 loss Wednesday, the Braves got a well-balanced effort, with six players knocking in runs and six pitchers holding the Phillies to just four hits.
"We needed any kind of spark to get us going," said Hodges, who got the start in place of injured Paul Byrd. "Once I found out I was starting the first thing that came into my mind was this team needs a win and I was going to do everything in my power to help that happen."
Hodges, making his first career start, was pulled after 4 2/3 innings and was unable to get a decision. He gave up one run, two hits and two walks as a fill-in starter.
Darren Holmes (1-0) got the win in relief, giving up one walk in one inning.
"All we were asking for was five innings from him and he gave us that," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "The bullpen was excellent. This was a win we really needed."
Phillies starter Joe Roa (0-2) gave up four runs and eight hits in five innings. His position in the rotation is precarious after getting hit for nine runs in seven innings this season.
"He hasn't been real sharp and he's a guy who relies on his control," Phillies manager Larry Bowa said. "He left a couple over the plate tonight."
The Braves scored one run in six innings. Rafael Furcal led off the game with a triple to right and scored on a groundout. Marcus Giles doubled to start the third and scored on Furcal's single.
Andruw Jones' led off the fourth with his fourth homer of the year and Chipper Jones had an RBI single in the fifth. Fick's homer, his second, came with one out in the seventh.
Julio Franco added a pinch RBI single in the eighth to score Vinny Castilla. The inning was extended after first baseman Jim Thome dropped the relay throw on a potential double play that would have been the third out.
Philadelphia scored in the fifth after Mike Lieberthal worked a two-out walk and scored on a double by Marlon Byrd.
The Phillies got another run in the seventh off reliever Kevin Gryboski and threatened to score more. David Bell singled to start the inning and moved to third on a double by Lieberthal. After Byrd struck out, Bell scored on a groundout by pinch-hitter Tyler Houston and Jimmy Rollins struck out to end the inning.
"We could have used some last night's runs tonight," Bowa said.
Notes
- Bell returned to the Phillies lineup after missing three games with a sore back.
- Andruw Jones has 15 career home runs at Veterans Stadium, tying him for ninth place on the opponents all-time list in the Vet's 32-year history. Barry Bonds is the leader with 27.
- Lieberthal has reached base in all eight games he has played and leads the majors in on base percentage (.567).
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