PHILADELPHIA -- The Braves followed a familiar pattern -- using timely hitting and stingy pitching -- to complete a four-game sweep of Philadelphia. Colin Wilson Avalanche Jersey . B.J. Upton tripled and drove in two runs Sunday to lead streaking Atlanta to a 3-2 victory over the Phillies and their first four-game sweep in Philadelphia in 50 years. Gerald Laird had two hits with a double and RBI for the Braves, who won for the sixth time in seven games while ending their road trip 8-3. Atlanta avenged a three-game sweep by Philadelphia June 16-18 at Turner Field. "We had timely hitting and the pitching was really good," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "You cant ask for more than that." It was the Braves first four-game sweep in Philadelphia since Sept. 24-27, 1964, when the franchise was in Milwaukee and their four wins at Connie Mack Stadium contributed to the Phillies infamous season-ending collapse that year. Marlon Byrd hit a pair of solo home runs for the slumping Phillies, who have lost eight of 10 to drop to 10 games under .500. "It didnt go our way," Phillies slugger Ryan Howard said. "The ball didnt bounce our way. It just wasnt meant to be for us in this series." Chase Utley singled in the seventh inning for his 1,500th career hit. Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman greeted Utley with applause and a pat on the back, and the crowd of 33,215 gave the Phillies second baseman a standing ovation. There wasnt much else for the home fans to cheer. Philadelphia dropped to 18-27 at Citizens Bank Park and fell to 7-35 when scoring three runs or less as the offence continued to struggle. The Phillies were 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position, finishing the series 3 for 32. "Hitting in the clutch and hitting with men on base is a component we have to get better at," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "We came up short in this series. It couldve been a big point for us." Aaron Harang (7-6) got the victory despite allowing 11 hits in seven innings. He gave up two runs, struck out four and walked two. "Harang battled through some tough innings, gave us a great effort," Gonzalez said. "Hes a wily vet." Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless ninth, but had to work out of a jam for his 24th save in 28 opportunities. Kimbrel got the first two batters out before consecutive singles by Ben Revere and Jimmy Rollins put runners on first and third for Utley. But Utley flew out to right to end the game. "This was a heck of a series," Upton said. "We really played well. Nobody really tried to do too much. It was a little out of character for us not hitting a lot of home runs, but it all came together for us. Now we just have to keep grinding." David Buchanan (4-4), making his eighth start in place of injured left-hander Cliff Lee, allowed three runs on five hits and five walks in five innings to snap his three-game winning streak. The Braves went ahead 2-0 in the second on Uptons two-run triple off the wall in centre. Harang scored on the play after singling to centre with two outs. The pitcher had been 1 for 25 on the season before the hit. After the first of Byrds two solo homers brought Philadelphia within 2-1 in the bottom of the frame, Lairds RBI double plated Tommy La Stella to push Atlantas advantage back to two runs. It was the fourth extra-base hit in the last three games for La Stella, who had two doubles and a triple in Saturdays doubleheader. In the bottom of the frame, Byrd homered into the Philadelphia bullpen to make it a one-run game again. The Phillies threatened in the sixth when they put runners on first and second with nobody out. But Koyie Hills sacrifice bunt attempt resulted in the lead runner being forced out at third, and pinch-hitter John Mayberry Jr. grounded into an inning-ending double play. Philadelphia had runners on first and third with one out in the seventh when Howard grounded into another inning-ending double play. NOTES: Justin De Fratus pitched a scoreless sixth inning to extend his scoreless innings streak to 17. ... Braves catcher Evan Gattis didnt play for the third straight game after having back spasms striking out swinging in the first inning on Friday. Gattis will be reevaluated when the club returns to Atlanta on Monday. ... It was Byrds seventh career multihomer game. ... The Phillies have Monday off before beginning a three-game series at Miami on Tuesday with RHP A.J. Burnett (5-7, 3.89) opposing Marlins RHP Henderson Alvarez (5-3, 2.32). ... The Braves host the Mets for three games beginning Monday when Atlanta LHP Alex Wood (6-6, 3.07) faces New York RHP Zack Wheeler (3-8, 4.45). Mikko Rantanen Avalanche Jersey . - Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson sat on the scorers table at Oracle Arena on Wednesday morning. Lanny McDonald Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.hockeyavalanche.com/authentic-john-wensink-avalanche-jersey/ .C. - NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick headlines this years electees into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.Before tonights Toronto Blue Jays game at the Rogers Centre, when the American League East leaders host last years National League pennant winners, the St. Louis Cardinals, the team will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the opening of the SkyDome. Jays legends Jimmy Key and Ernie Whitt, members of playoff and World Series-winning teams of the past, will be on hand for the festivities to look back at what was the beginning of the Jays halcyon years. The return of these former stars comes at an apt time. For fans of the Blue Jays, its starting to feel a lot like those glory days again. Heading into Fridays game, the Jays sit at 37-24 with a five-and-a-half-game lead on the second-place Baltimore Orioles. The last team the Blue Jays held such a lead atop the division was in 1985, the year of their first-ever AL East triumph. Its easy to see why theres excitement surrounding this Jays team, but before everybody goes and books their flights to San Francisco for the World Series in October, lets step back and take a good look at these Toronto Blue Jays. Is it time to stop saying "Well, its early" and officially deem them contenders? Is the 2014 version of the Jays just the 2013 one that was expected all along, but a year late on arrival? Or will reality catch up with a team that is currently playing above its station? Friday night marks Game 62, and an even 100 games remain in the regular season. While its not exactly the halfway mark, its as good a time as any to reflect on the interesting dichotomy of the Jays season, thus far. Obviously, there have been plenty of key performances from the top of the roster on down. Mark Buehrle leads the league in wins with 10 and has a paltry 2.10 ERA. Edwin Encarnacion launched 16 jacks in May and made every at-bat a must-see event. Jose Bautista is in the midst of an MVP-calibre season. Melky Cabrera has bouunced back from offseason surgery and looks headed to another All-Star Game. Erik Johnson Avalanche Jersey. Jose Reyes once again looks like the catalyst he was for the New York Mets. Picked up from the Milwaukee Brewers scrap heap, Juan Francisco is one of the five Jays with double-digit home run totals. There is a lot to like right now. But before the Jays were sweeping the likes of the Detroit Tigers and Oakland Athletics and tearing the cover off the baseball with reckless abandon and going 17-4 over its last 21 games, this team was once a very average 20-20. Its bullpen is still second-last in the bigs with a 4.62 ERA, having surrendered a league-worst 97 earned runs. Now second in the AL with 19 home runs, Encarnacion couldnt buy a hit in April and had just two homers. Reyes, Adam Lind and Casey Janssen missed significant time. Brandon Morrow and Colby Rasmus are down again. There were red flags all over this team not that long ago, but those have been seemingly swept aside in a tidal wave of power-hitting and timely pitching. Has this changed your expectations for the rest of the year? With April and early May indicating that the team was headed for another year of mediocrity, the fact that the Jays are division-leaders with the third-best record in baseball in June is quite frankly shocking. But wasnt this the Toronto Blue Jays team that was promised last season after a winter of major trades and free agent acquisitions? Maybe this run that the Jays are on isnt the aberration. Perhaps, last season and the beginning of this year was the outlier. Regardless of why its happening and how long it will last, the Blue Jays are currently playing meaningful baseball and its a welcome change for fans starving for a winner. So with 100 games left in 2014, just who are these Toronto Blue Jays and what happens from here on out? As always, its Your Call! ' ' '