That's just how it goes for the Phillies in September.

While the rival Mets hold team meetings to halt another potential season-ruining slide and the Brewers ditch their manager to curb their September slump, the Phillies keep rolling. They gave rookie J.A. Happ a four-run lead before he threw a pitch Wednesday night and cruised to a 6-1 victory over the Braves, their eighth win in as many games this season at Turner Field.

The Phillies have won a season-high six straight games and improved to a season-best 18 games over .500. They're 10-5 in September, and over the past five years, they lead the National League with 83 victories in the season's final month.

They win when it counts.

"We've got character on our team," manager Charlie Manuel said before Happ earned his first major league win and the Phillies (85-67) stayed a half-game ahead of the Mets (84-67) in the NL East. "We've got a lot of guys who love to play. We've got a lot of professionals. We've got a lot of guys who know when to be serious and also when to have fun.

"If you want to know the truth, the biggest reason I came back on this job was the players that we had. I thought, 'Who wouldn't want to go back and manage (Chase) Utley and (Ryan) Howard and (Jimmy) Rollins and (Cole) Hamels and (Brett) Myers and guys like that? Who these guys are definitely plays a part in where we're at. Chemistry counts. Attitude definitely comes into play."

PHILLIES 6, BRAVES 1: J.A. Happ allowed three hits in six innings to earn his first major league victory in his fourth career start. The Phillies won their season-high sixth straight game and improved to a season-best 18 games over .500 to remain a half-game ahead of the Mets in the NL East. The Phillies also improved to 8-0 this season at Turner Field. Shane Victorino went 3-for-4, while Jayson Werth picked up two hits and stretched his career-best hitting streak to 11 games. Chad Durbin, J.C. Romero and Clay Condrey combined for three scoreless innings of relief.