Trio of Homers Send Phillies Past Braves, 5-3

Placido Polanco, Jayson Werth and Shane Victorino each went deep, Cole Hamels survived a shaky start and the Philadelphia Phillies' bullpen hung on to beat the Atlanta Braves 5-3 on Sunday.

Hamels (3-2) struggled on a chilly afternoon at Citizens Bank Park, but escaped trouble in the third and fourth innings, while the Phillies built a 4-0 lead.

The left-hander began the fifth by allowing five straight batters to reach base, starting with a walk to pitcher Kenshin Kawakami. Omar Infante, Martin Prado, Melky Cabrera and Troy Glaus each followed with singles, allowing Atlanta to pull within 4-3.

Hamels regrouped to retire Brian McCann and Matt Diaz, then worked around a walk to Brooks Conrad to escape further damage. Hamels wound up lasting five innings, allowing eight hits four walks but surrendering only the three runs. He struck out five.

The bullpen was even better.

Reliever Chad Durbin worked the sixth and seventh innings, striking out four of the six batters he faced. Jose Contreras pitched the eighth and Brad Lidge earned his first save of the season with a perfect ninth, and his first regular-season save since Sept. 20.

Lidge has converted 37 of 38 save chances at Citizens Bank Park, including 16 in a row.

Victorino's home run to right field gave the Phillies an insurance run with one out in the seventh inning. Kawakami lasted 6 2-3 innings for the Braves, allowing five runs on seven hits and a pair of walks.

Atlanta fielded a lineup without regulars Jason Heyward, Chipper Jones and Yunel Escobar. Four of Sunday's starters, excluding the pitcher, entered the game batting below .200.