early on, because it becomes so close at the end of the season

PHILADELPHIA -- Freddy Galvis has quite a knack for clutch hits.Galvis hit a two-run homer with two outs in the eighth inning to lift the Philadelphia Phillies to a 4-3 win over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.Despite a .221 average, Galvis leads the team with eight game-winning RBI.He gave me a good pitch to hit, and I was just trying to put the ball in play, got a good swing and hit the homer, Galvis said. Sometimes you are down a little bit on yourself. I am just trying to help the team win some games. I was trying too hard and right now I feel pretty good.Maikel Franco hit a homer for the fourth straight game to help the Phillies complete a three-game sweep and win for the eighth time in nine games.Adonis Garcia hit a pair of RBI doubles for the Braves.Galvis lined a 2-2 pitch off Arodys Vizcaino (1-4) into the seats in right after Franco had started the inning with a walk.Hector Neris (3-3) got the win despite allowing a go-ahead run in the top of the eighth. Jeanmar Gomez finished for his 23rd save in 25 tries.Braves starter Tyrell Jenkins allowed one run and four hits in 4 2/3 innings. He started in place of Julio Teheran, who returned to Atlanta to be treated for an infection on his right thigh.He did a great job stretching the game that far, Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said. He gave us everything he had. He was pitching. He was mixing pitches, keeping the ball down.Phillies starter Jeremy Hellickson gave up two runs -- one earned -- and four hits in six innings.Garcia lined an RBI double to right-center to score Jeff Francoeur, giving the Braves a 2-1 lead in the sixth. Garcia hit a sharp grounder down the left-field line to put the Braves up 3-2.Franco tied it at 2 with an opposite-field shot to right off Chris Withrow in the sixth.Im just really comfortable at home plate, Franco said. I see the pitch much better. Thats what Im doing right now, trying to see the ball and trying to put good contact on it.Odubel Herrera sliced an RBI double down the left-field line with two outs in the fifth to tie it at 1. Earlier in the inning, Francoeur made a perfect no-hop throw to the plate from left field to get Galvis trying to score from second on a single.Hellickson walked Freddie Freeman with the bases loaded to force in a run in the third. A fielding error on second baseman Cesar Hernandez led to the unearned run.COMEBACK KIDSThe Phillies have six comeback wins in their last 13 games, going 10-3 in that span. They had none in the previous 32 games after recording 10 in the first 41 games while going 24-17.STANDINGSThe Braves (28-57) have the worst record in the majors while the Phillies (40-46) are inching closer to .500.STREAKINGFranco is the first Phillies player to hit homers in four straight games since Ryan Howard in September 2012. Franco was 10 for 19 with four homers in the six-game homestand. ... Peter Bourjos was 0 for 3 with an intentional walk, ending his hitting streak at 14 games.UP NEXTBRAVES: RHP Lucas Harrell (1-0, 1.50 ERA) starts a makeup game at the Chicago Cubs before a three-game series at the Chicago White Sox.PHILLIES: LHP Adam Morgan (1-6, 6.31) pitches the opener of a four-game series at Colorado. Morgan is filling in for Aaron Nola, who is being skipped to get an extended rest after five poor starts. Cheap Pirates Jerseys . Robinson finished with 17 points, all but two in the second half, and Lawson had 14 after halftime and finished with a game-high 11 assists as the Nuggets handed Dallas its first home loss in eight games this season. J.J. Hickson led Denver with 22, and Kenneth Faried added 10 points and 10 rebounds. 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With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. NEW YORK -- The last time the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning saw one another, they were battling for the right to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.On Tuesday, the teams will be looking to regain the form that sent them deep into the Stanley Cup playoffs six months ago.The Islanders will continue a five-game homestand by hosting the Lightning at Barclays Center. It will be a rematch of an Eastern Conference semifinal from last spring, when Tampa Bay outlasted New York in five games.The Islanders (4-5-0) snapped a two-game losing streak on Sunday with a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Lightning (5-4-0) lost their third straight contest on Sunday with a 6-1 setback to the New York Rangers.The losing streak -- during which the Lightning have been outscored 12-3 -- has dropped them into a tie for third place in the Atlantic Division. Tampa Bay resides seven points behind the red-hot Montreal Canadiens, who remain unbeaten in regulation.The Lightning allowed just 17 goals in their first six games.I think every team goes through a stretch of games where youre off your game, Lightning defenseman Anton Stralman said Sunday night. Thats obviously where we are right now. It doesnt matter if its now or midseason (or) later in the season. Its about stopping the bleeding, fix the wrongs and do right. And Im sure we have the quality to do that.The Islanders played perhaps their most complete game of the year Sunday night, when they scored twice in the first eight minutes of the first period and three times in the third. Entering Sunday, New York had scored just four first-period goals all season and had allowed the tie-breaking tally late in the third period in each of its two previous losses.ddddddddddddThe win came too late to salvage a winning October for the Islanders but provided valuable points for a team that rode strong starts to playoff berths in each of the last two seasons.Points are just as crucial now as they are in April, said defenseman Travis Hamonic, whose goal 61 seconds into the game Sunday gave New York a lead it wouldnt relinquish. You need to be aware of that, and certainly we are. You want to try and collect as many early on, because it becomes so close at the end of the season. Handfuls of points can dictate a division title or missing the playoffs.Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop is likely to draw the start against Thomas Greiss, who may be emerging as New Yorks No. 1 netminder as general manager Garth Snow tries to trade the disgruntled Jaroslav HalakBishop is 5-4-1 in 10 regular-season appearances against the Islanders. He took the defeat the last time he opposed New York in a regular-season game on April 4, as he was pulled in the third period after stopping 18 of 23 shots in the Lightnings 5-2 loss at Barclays Center.Greiss is 3-1-0 in four regular-season games against the Lightning. He earned the win for the Islanders on April 4, when he stopped 32 of 34 shots.If Greiss starts Tuesday, it will be his second start in as many games since Halaks agent tweeted his displeasure with his client getting in only one practice prior to last Thursday, when Halak took the loss as New York fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins. 4-2.Newsday reported Monday that Snow has let other general managers know Halak is available in a trade. ' ' '