PHILADELPHIA -- The story of how well the Phillies' offense was going on Saturday night can be told by one miss. Jose Hernandez, batting in the eighth spot, flied out to right with two men on to end the ninth.

What's the big deal?

Hernandez was going for his fifth hit in five at-bats.

By that point the Phillies had scored 16 runs, including at least one in each of the first six innings, and cruised to a 16-4 win over the Braves at Citizens Bank Park.

Hernandez had four of the Phillies' season-high 20 hits, and Jeff Conine added three more, which ought to make general manager Pat Gillick smile. Both were among Gillick's recent acquisitions for the stretch run, as was Randall Simon, who contributed a pinch-hit RBI single.

"They brought us down here for a reason," Hernandez said. "No matter where we hit, I think we're going to help the club."

The offense reached historic levels, reaching 14 runs after the fifth inning for the first time since June 2, 2002.

In addition, the Phillies scored multiple runs in the second through sixth innings, giving them five straight multi-run innings in a game for the first time since Aug. 16, 1980 -- the year of their only World Series title.

After the game, manager Charlie Manuel started to go through the hitting stars of the night, but quickly thought better of it.

"Everybody in our lineup hit," Manuel said.

And look what some offense can do. The Phillies allowed four runs in the nightcap, just as they did in their heartbreaking, 4-3 loss in the opener of the doubleheader. In that game, with Tom Gordon still rehabbing his injured throwing shoulder, new closer Arthur Rhodes blew a second consecutive save.

A few hours later, the Phillies made sure no save was necessary.

"Any time, especially this time of year, when you lose the tough ones, you've got to bounce right back," Conine said. "We came back real good tonight."

In sharp contrast to the offensive outburst, the game couldn't have started any worse for the Phillies.

Rookie right-hander Scott Mathieson's night lasted just six pitches after he felt a sharp pain in his right elbow and left with a sprain. Mathieson will undergo an MRI on Sunday, after which he will be re-evaluated.

Mathieson was replaced by Eude Brito, who promptly threw his first pitch wild and gave up a two-run homer to the following batter.

But Brito would settle down, going four innings to pick up his first win of the season.

"It's a little bit unusual," said Brito of entering without having warmed up. "That's never happened to me before. I just tried to keep the game close."

Well, he couldn't exactly keep the game close, thanks to his offense.

In addition to the acquisitions, the guys who have been with the team a while contributed as well. Shane Victorino collected a pair of hits, giving him six for the day. And Mike Lieberthal -- another of the six Phillies who had multiple hits in the nightcap -- had a 3-for-3 evening with a home run and four RBIs.

"As strong as the lineup is in the middle, with [Chase] Utley and [Ryan] Howard, it makes it that much stronger when the bottom of the lineup hits," Lieberthal said.

For the Phillies, the night was all about bouncing back. Despite the devastating end to Game 1 and the potentially devastating start to Game 2, they ended the day in the same place they started it. Upon clinching the victory in the nightcap, the Phillies are one game behind the Padres in the National League Wild Card standings.

But the day could have been much worse.

"It just shows you haw much fight we've got," Manuel said. "And determination."