two-error inning in the ninth that helped Marlon Byrd reach second on an infield single

ATLANTA -- Philadelphia Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg sensed it would be a good night for Kyle Kendrick when the right-hander threw his first six pitches for strikes. "They were quality pitches, and it pretty much lasted throughout the outing," Sandberg said. "Probably his best outing of the year as far as establishing command and the quality of pitches." Ryan Howard homered, Kendrick won consecutive starts for the first time in 11 months and the Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 5-2 on Tuesday night. The Phillies, winners of two straight and six of eight, got a solid start from Kendrick (3-6), who had gone 2-11 in his previous 20 starts since last Aug. 11. Kendrick allowed six hits and two runs with one walk and six strikeouts in seven innings. Not since he beat Washington last July 11 and won at the New York Mets last July 19 had Kendrick won two straight starts. The right-hander was coming off a 7-3 victory last week against San Diego. "I was able to get ahead most of the night," Kendrick said. "I was down and trying to pound the strike zone. I think that was the main thing. In the first inning, most of (the pitches) were down." Atlanta has lost seven of 11 and 13 of 21. Ervin Santana (5-4) continued to struggle, giving up eight hits and four runs -- three earned -- with three walks in six innings. Santana, who struck out five, is 1-4 with a 6.17 ERA in his last seven starts. "It was a little better, yeah, but it was it tough battling out there," Santana said. "The pitch that Howard hit was a good pitch. Just one of those days." The Phillies took a 2-0 lead in the first when Jimmy Rollins led off with a double and Howard hit his 13th homer. In 71 career games at Turner Field, Howard is hitting .277 with 20 homers and 69 RBIs. Howard also homered in Mondays 6-1, 13-inning victory. "Youre just trying to find some real estate, trying to get a good pitch to hit," Howard said. "I was fortunate enough to do that. It landed on the other side of the fence and gave us an early lead." Philadelphia, which had its leadoff hitter reach safely in eight innings, went up 4-0 in the fourth. Dominic Brown led off with a walk, advanced to third on Reid Brignacs double and scored on a passed ball by Gerald Laird. Brignac, who moved to third on the passed ball, scored on Cesar Hernandezs RBI single. Atlanta made it 4-1 in the fourth on Jason Heywards RBI single. The Braves cut the lead to 4-2 in the seventh when Chris Johnson led off with a double, moved to third Andrelton Simmons single and scored on Lairds double-play groundout. Simmons, named last years top defender in the NL, had a rare two-error inning in the ninth that helped Marlon Byrd reach second on an infield single and score from third on Browns fielders choice grounder for a 5-2 lead. Closer Jonathan Papelbon recovered from a blown save Monday to record his 16th save in 18 chances. Papelbon retired pinch-hitter Ryan Doumit on a lineout, Tommy La Stella on a groundout and Johnson on a lineout. NOTES: The Braves announced that LF Justin Upton left the game after six innings because of dizziness. ... Philadelphia CF Ben Revere missed the game with a sore knee after hitting the wall Monday. Sandberg said Revere is day-to-day. John Mayberry Jr. started in Reveres place. ... Phillies LHP Cliff Lee, on the DL since May 20 with a strained elbow, threw off a mound before the game. ... Phillies 2B Chase Utley walked as a pinch-hitter in the eighth. ... Braves RHP David Carpenter was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained right biceps. RHP Pedro Beato, recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett, pitched a scoreless seventh, but walked the bases loaded in the eighth. ... Braves C Evan Gattis, who got the night off, has a franchise-long 16-game hitting streak for a catcher. Del Crandall, in 1958, and Joe Torre, in 1967, had 15-game streaks. 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Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist stood tall with 41 saves between the pipes, but it was defenceman Ryan McDonagh who got the first star of the game as he had a goal and an assist and now has two goals and four assists for six points in two games.MIAMI -- Randy Wolf pitched six innings Monday night for his first victory since 2012, and the Miami Marlins beat Tampa Bay 3-1, sending the Rays to their seventh consecutive loss. The 37-year-old Wolf, making a comeback from the second Tommy John surgery of his career, allowed three hits and one run. He struck out seven, walked one and won for the first time since he pitched Baltimore past Tampa Bay on Sept. 13, 2012. The Rays fell to 0-7 on their eight-game trip. Theyre 12 games below .500 for the first time since 2007, and their record (23-35) is the worst in the American League. Four Miami relievers completed the six-hitter, and Steve Cishek pitched a perfect ninth for his 12th save in 13 chances. The Marlins snapped a streak of four consecutive home losses as they started a four-game home-and-home series against their intrastate rivals. The Rays went 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position. Theyve scored six runs in their past five games. Alex Cobb (1-3) paid dearly for a rocky start. The Marlins scored three times in the first, when their first four batters reached. Casey McGehee hit a two-run single, and a bases-loaded double play scored another run. Cobb then settled down and shut out Miami over the next five innings, but the Rays couldnt rally. Tampa Bay starters remained winless in the past 15 games, the teams longest such streak ssince 2006.dddddddddddd Wolf (1-1) didnt pitch in 2013 and was making his second start of this year. His fastball registered only in the upper 80s (mph), but he had command of his breaking pitches and struck out five of the first eight batters he faced. The Rays finally broke through in the fifth on an RBI double by Desmond Jennings, but Wolf retired the next three hitters. Wolf was signed as a free agent last month after ace Jose Fernandez was sidelined by a season-ending elbow injury. The left-hander improved his career record to 133-118. NOTES: Rays SS Yunel Escobar (quad) was back in the lineup after missing two starts. ... Tampa Bay RF Wil Myers (wrist), who went on the disabled list Sunday, is awaiting further test results but is expected to be sidelined three to six weeks, the team said. ... Rays RHP Jeremy Hellickson (elbow surgery) threw 50 pitches in a simulated game in Port Charlotte and said he felt good. Hell likely make at least three rehab starts but is on schedule to return before the All-Star break. ... Marlins 2B Derek Dietrich was given the night off after a succession of defensive gaffes. ... Before the first pitch, the wives of Marlins players beat the Rays wives in a softball game. ... Henderson Alvarez (2-3, 2.97 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday for Miami against Chris Archer (3-2, 4.00). ' ' '