ATLANTA -- Tommy La Stella is making an impression on Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. Since coming to the big leagues in late May, La Stella is 6 for 7 with the bases loaded, driving in 13 runs in those at-bats. "When we got him from Triple-A, all our minor league and player development people said that this guy can hit," Gonzalez said after Sundays 8-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. "He can find the barrel with the ball. He sure has done that. Hopefully, that continues." La Stella drove in three runs and Chris Johnson hit a two-run homer to back Alex Wood. The Braves have won of five of seven and remained second in the NL East, one percentage point back of Washington. Wood (7-7) allowed one run and three hits in six innings with eight strikeouts to win for the first time four starts. He retired his last 13 batters. The first five innings were played in a steady drizzle before heavy rain caused a 1-hour, 39-minute delay in the middle of the sixth. Philadelphia took a 1-0 lead in the second when John Mayberry Jr. homered, but the Braves went up 2-1 in the bottom half on Johnsons seventh homer. Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick (4-10) got in trouble in the third, walking B.J. Upton, hitting Freddie Freeman with Justin Upton with pitches and forcing in a run with a bases-loaded walk to Jason Heyward that make it 3-1. After Johnson lined out, the Braves went up 6-1 on La Stellas three-run double. La Stellas latest big hit came two days after the second baseman he replaced, Dan Uggla, was released. La Stella relishes getting a chance to bat with runners in scoring position. "Youre going to find yourself in those situations whether you want them or not," La Stella said. "I think it goes a long way to see yourself in those situations and see yourself succeeding." Kendrick gave up six runs, five hits and two walks in five innings, dropping to 1-4 with a 6.99 ERA in his last six starts. "Its been a tough year for me," he said. "I dont know why. Its just been a bad year. Guys have bad years. So far, thats how its been. Just keep pitching." Wood, who returned to Atlantas rotation on June 25 after nearly seven weeks in relief, improved to 4-6 with a 2.95 ERA in 12 starts. "It felt pretty good when (Johnson) hit that two-run homer, so that was definitely a big confidence booster for me," Wood said. "After he did that, I felt like I could kind of take the game over, and thats what I was able to do." After the rain delay, Phillies reliever Mario Hollands gave up two runs in the sixth on Andrelton Simmons bases-loaded walk and Freddie Freemans RBI single. Philadelphia has lost four of five and dropped 11 games back in the NL East. Just 9-42 when scoring three runs or less, the Phillies missed a chance to score with the bases loaded in the eighth when Jimmy Rollins grounded into a double play and Chase Utley popped up. Marlon Byrd hit his 19th homer in the ninth off David Carpenter. NOTES: When Mayberry misplayed Kendricks pickoff attempt nf B.J. Upton in the third, it was Philadelphias first error in 78 innings. ... Phillies LHP Cliff Lee is expected to return from the DL Monday at home against San Francisco after missing nine weeks with a strained left elbow. In six career starts against the Giants, Lee is 5-0 with a 0.88 ERA. ... Braves C Evan Gattis, sidelined since June 29 with a bulging disk in his lower back, is expected to end a rehab assignment and return to the lineup for Mondays home game against Miami. He went 2 for 6 with two RBIs Sunday as designated hitter for Triple-A Gwinnett. ... RHP Julio Teheran starts Monday for the Braves and is 4-0 with a 2.50 ERA in six career starts against the Marlins. David Ortiz Jersey . The Los Angeles Clippers showed them just how ugly that life could be. 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Marco Hernandez Red Sox Jersey . -- EJ Manuel followed the worst game of his career with the best.DENVER -- The Atlanta Braves scored early and often and they needed nearly every one of those runs to beat the Colorado Rockies. Andrelton Simmons hit his first career grand slam as part of a seven-run first inning, and the Braves held on to beat Colorado 13-10 on Tuesday night. Evan Gattis had a home run among his three hits and Freddie Freeman also homered for the Braves, who had season-highs of 16 hits and 13 runs but had to sweat out a win in the late innings. "Nothing surprises me in this ballpark," Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "Ive been in this office in the same situation with a loss hanging over your head." The teams combined for 29 hits and neither starter made it out of the fifth inning. Rockies right-hander Juan Nicasio lasted just 3 2-3 innings and Atlantas Mike Minor left after giving up two hits to start the fifth. David Hale (2-0) pitched 2 1-3 innings of relief for the win. "I wasnt making quality pitches early on and later on I felt like I was making better pitches and couldnt get out of a jam," Minor said. "They were scoring all night." The Rockies trailed 13-9 when reliever Jordan Walden walked the bases loaded with no outs in the eighth. One out later Shae Simmons came on and allowed a sacrifice fly by Justin Morneau but then struck out Josh Rutledge to end the threat. Craig Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth for his 18th save in 21 chances. "Kimbrel was great," Gonzalez said. "We score seven in the first inning and we needed a shutdown inning." Nicasio had a scary moment when he deflected a line drive by Justin Upton with his glove in the bottom of the first. Nicasio fractured his neck and sustained a concussion when he was hit in the head by a line drive on Aug. 5, 2011. He missed the rest of his rookie season. "That was scary. You definitely look at his past history and know what happened," shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. "Its something you dont want to see. But Juan is a tough kid. I think hes really over that." The Braves also had a scare when Upton gingerly ran the bases in the first. Gonzalez removed him from the game before Atlanta took the field in the bottom of the inning. Gonzalez and Upton said it wasnt serious and he could play in the next couple of days. "I dont know how its going to feel tomorrow but Im optimistic its not anything too serious," UUpton said.dddddddddddd Wilin Rosario homered and Rutledge had three hits for Colorado, which has lost 10 of 11 and 15 of 18 to fall six games below .500. The Braves jumped on Nicasio right away. Jayson Heyward doubled then B.J. Upton tripled and scored on a groundout. Four straight singles made it 3-0 and loaded the bases for Simmons, who went deep to centre to make it 7-0. "Its a lot of fun, especially being an offensive player and being able to bat around and score a lot of runs," said Chris Johnson, who had his second straight three-hit game. "Everybodys in a good mood because everyone hit and did well." Atlanta sent 10 batters to the plate in the inning, and Colorado nearly matched it in the bottom of the frame. The Rockies scored three times on Rosarios single, Morneaus sacrifice fly and a bases-loaded walk to DJ LeMahieu Minor walked three batters and hit another and needed 38 pitches to get out of the first with a 7-3 lead. "Me and Gattis, before we walked out we said were going to act like its a 0-0 game," Minor said. "I couldnt throw a curveball for a strike. They eliminated every offspeed pitch and fastballs, I was barely missing the plate." He gave his team an 8-3 lead with an RBI single in the third but then allowed two more runs in the bottom of the inning, including a run-scoring single to Nicasio. It wasnt enough for the right-hander, who left in the fourth after solo homers by Freeman and Gattis, who scored a career-high four runs. Nicasio (5-5) allowed a career-high 10 runs and 11 hits. He has given up at least five runs and nine hits in his last three starts. His ERA has risen from 3.60 to 5.70 in the three outings, all losses. "I didnt worry about that line drive to me. I didnt do my job today," Nicasio said. "I feel bad for my team. They scored 10 runs I need to win this game." Atlanta scored three times off reliever Chad Bettis in the sixth to make it 13-8. NOTES: Gattis extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single in the first inning. ... Rockies OF Carlos Gonzalez had a small tumour removed from his left index finger. The procedure was performed in Cleveland. ... The Braves activated Walden from the 15-day DL and optioned LHP Alex Wood to Triple-A Gwinnett. ... Atlanta RHP Julio Teheran (6-3, 1.89) will face LHP Tyler Matzek, who will make his major league debut for the Rockies on Wednesday night. ' ' '