Atlanta 8, Philadelphia 2

Braves 8, Phillies 2: Freddie Freeman’s three-run first-inning homer and a strong start from Mike Minor allowed visiting Atlanta to even the weekend series against Philadelphia.

The Braves won for the sixth time in eight games, maintaining a six-game lead over St. Louis for the National League’s top wild card spot. Atlanta scored seven times off Phillies starter Roy Halladay (10-8), who did not make it out of the second inning.

Halladay was one strike away from escaping the first inning unscathed, but Freeman hit a 0-2 pitch off the facing of the second deck in right for his 21st homer. Jason Heyward keyed a four-run second inning with a three-run double to right. Minor (10-10) allowed two runs on two hits with six strikeouts in as many innings to make the lead stand up.

Chipper Jones doubled home the final run of the second inning. Jones finished 2-for-5, moving past Lou Gehrig and into 58th place on the all-time hits list with 2,723. Heyward finished with four RBIs and joined former Phillie Michael Bourn and Martin Prado with two hits apiece.

Halladay surrendered five hits and seven runs with three walks and three strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings. The Phillies scored on Darin Ruf's sacrifice fly in the third and Ryan Howard’s solo homer run - his 14th of the season and 300th of his career - in the fourth.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Braves snapped Philadelphia’s eight-game home winning streak. … Jones trails Roberto Alomar (2,724) by one hit for 57th place all time. … Halladay dropped to 0-2 with an 11.25 ERA in four starts against Atlanta this season.

• Philadelphia will play their next game at home against Atlanta. The Phillies have a W/L % of .564 after a win and .446 after a loss.
• Atlanta will play their next game on the road against Philadelphia. The Braves have a W/L % of .628 after a win and .500 after a loss.