PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Kevin Frandsen hit one of Philadelphia's four solo homers to back Kyle Kendrick, and the Phillies inched closer in the NL playoff race with a 6-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night.
Ryan Howard, Carlos Ruiz and Chase Utley also went deep for the resurgent Phillies, who pulled within three games of St. Louis for the league's second wild-card spot with their fourth straight win. Milwaukee and Los Angeles also stand in Philadelphia's way with 11 games remaining.
Despite the loss, the Braves are in excellent position to secure a postseason berth. Their magic number for clinching a spot was five, pending the outcome of the Milwaukee-Washington game.
Kendrick (10-11) allowed two runs and five hits in 6 2-3 innings, striking out six. He is 6-2 with a 2.17 ERA since Aug. 14.
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