Phillips comes up clutch in homecoming

ATLANTA -- Brandon Phillips, who grew up in the Atlanta suburb of Stone Mountain, looks forward to his trip home each season. It won't be a very long visit this year, though.

"It [stinks]," the second baseman said of the brief two-game series at Turner Field that began Monday. "But I'll make the best of it. It is what it is."

As much as Phillips likes coming home, neither he nor the Reds have had all that much success against the Braves in Atlanta.

Since Phillips joined the team in 2006, the Reds were 8-11 at Turner Field before Monday and came into this series having won just one of the past six games.

Likewise, Phillips had hit just .224 in 18 games in Atlanta with six doubles, no homers and seven RBIs.

But Phillips came through with the big hit Monday night, driving in the tie-breaking run with an eighth-inning double in the 3-1 victory over the Braves.

"It feels good to do something here," he said. "This was a big win for us."

The Braves and Reds play four games in Cincinnati next week (May 21-24). In 40 games overall against Atlanta before Monday, Phillips had a .244 average with 12 doubles, five homers and 23 RBIs.

Now he can add another double and one more RBI.