GaryMrMets
05-29-2004, 07:46 PM
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/sports/8790849.htm
Posted on Sat, May. 29, 2004
HE REALLY CREAMED THAT ONE
By MARCUS HAYES
hayesm@phillynews.com
DON'T CREDIT the wind or humidity or any atmospheric aid. Tomas Perez just scorched this one.
Playing in place of slugger Jim Thome, who missed his ninth game this season because of ailing hands, Perez's 10th-inning homer gave the Phillies a 3-2 win over the visiting Atlanta Braves into the teeth of a stiff breeze at homer-friendly Citizens Bank Park.
It didn't hurt that he snatched Thome's bat out of the rack before he hit it.
"He got the head out on it," Thome said.
Still, to pull a shot to rightfield on an Antonio Alfonseca sinker, low and away?
"Hey," Perez grinned, "the little guy's got some pop."
Not much, really: only 20 homers in 1,365 career at-bats. But the little guy got popped, certainly; body-slammed and pummeled upon crossing home plate in the second season of the Phillies' masochistic ritual. He also got smeared as five teammates delivered payback to the king of shaving-cream pies, a Perez tradition he serves during the TV postgame interview to whoever dramatically wins the game.
"I knew it was coming," said Perez after he had rinsed out his Foamy hair.
He earned it. Twice.
Perez, hitting in the eighth spot, had driven in the tying run in the eighth: "That was the at-bat that impressed me," said Thome, who, interestingly, also lent Perez his glove.
With that leather, Perez, a slick middle infielder with little experience at first, committed an error that allowed the Braves' first run to score in the second inning. He bobbled a grounder trying to turn a doubleplay, then compounded that mistake by flipping to first base before pitcher Randy Wolf was ready.
"That was on my mind all night," Perez acknowledged. "I said to myself, 'I have to do something to tie this game.' "
Eventually, his double did that. Later, Thome, who knows the bat companies make sure the stars get better wood in their bats than do bench players, seemed to know the bat had a homer waiting.
"Tomas," he said before Perez hit in the 10th, "that bat's got some pop in it."
Right he was - not that it should come as a surprise. Perez kills the Braves, a .329 batter against them, second only to his success against the Reds.
His success last night overshadowed a strong outing from Braves starter Mike Hampton. After an atrocious beginning to this season, Hampton has surrendered three earned runs in his last 21 2/3 innings after last night's performance: 6 2/3 innings, two runs, one earned.
Hampton left just before Kevin Gryboski walked in the Phillies' first run to make it 2-1 and wasn't around for Perez's double. Perez's night also muted the return of Wolf, who lasted six innings, gave up two runs (one earned) and pitched through lingering stiffness in his left elbow, which had cost him his previous scheduled a start.
Wolf might have had a lead after the first inning if not for the first failure with runners in scoring position. The Phillies won, but manager Larry Bowa still couldn't help but fret about the club's sagging offense, which has scored only seven earned runs in its last four games after wallowing in offense for almost a month before Monday's off day. They're 4-for-36 with runners in scoring position in their last four games, 1-for-10 last night.
"We get a couple of guys swinging the bat for three games in a row, then the next five they disappear," said Bowa, baffled but happy. "This was a big win for us."
Not to mention a big chance for retribution of the prankster type.
"I hope," said Amaury Telemaco, one of the vigilante pie mob, "we get to get him a lot more."
The finger, again
Jim Thome missed the game after receiving a cortisone shot in his right index finger, the digit that cost him five games last week. Thome strained a ligament in the finger compensating for a broken middle fingertip suffered in spring training. He could have played, he said, but, as a lefty hitter, preferred to sit last night against lately effective lefty Mike Hampton, against whom he was 2-for-9. Thome said that he expects the finger to continue bothering him all season even after receiving the shot, which he hoped to avoid with last week's rest.
"Hopefully, I'll really be able to let her loose," he said of his swing, which, despite the pain, has garnered him a .319 average with 11 homers, the best start of his career.
Thome also received a cortisone shot April in his left thumb, which he sprained April 12. His hands have cost him nine starts in the Phillies' 46 games this season.
He expects to receive no more shots this season. He said he'll just play with the pain, if it returns. In the meantime, after going 0-3 in his first absences, the Phillies have gone 5-1 in the last six games he's missed.
His take: "The boys are stepping up."
Phillers
Larry Bowa reported no further complications concerning his daughter, Tori, 20, whose BMW was totaled in a three-car accident outside Citizens Bank Park before Thursday's game. He did add a cracked rib to Tori's injury list (concussion, whiplash). She is interning with the Phillies' marketing department this summer...Tomas Perez dedicated his game to her...Closer Billy Wagner (groin) threw off flat ground yesterday...Braves star leftfielder Chipper Jones left the game after getting hit on the left thigh by Wolf in the first inning and won't play today...First baseman Adam LaRoche left the game after landing hard on his left shoulder and separating it trying to run over Mike Lieberthal at the plate in the second inning. Lieberthal eluded him and tagged him out as he flew past...Leadoff hitter and centerfielder Marlon Byrd was pinch-hit for in the eighth then replaced in the field by Doug Glanville...Tim Worrell, who pitched two innings and got the win (1-1), continued the bullpen's seven-inning scoreless streak against the Braves this series.
Posted on Sat, May. 29, 2004
HE REALLY CREAMED THAT ONE
By MARCUS HAYES
hayesm@phillynews.com
DON'T CREDIT the wind or humidity or any atmospheric aid. Tomas Perez just scorched this one.
Playing in place of slugger Jim Thome, who missed his ninth game this season because of ailing hands, Perez's 10th-inning homer gave the Phillies a 3-2 win over the visiting Atlanta Braves into the teeth of a stiff breeze at homer-friendly Citizens Bank Park.
It didn't hurt that he snatched Thome's bat out of the rack before he hit it.
"He got the head out on it," Thome said.
Still, to pull a shot to rightfield on an Antonio Alfonseca sinker, low and away?
"Hey," Perez grinned, "the little guy's got some pop."
Not much, really: only 20 homers in 1,365 career at-bats. But the little guy got popped, certainly; body-slammed and pummeled upon crossing home plate in the second season of the Phillies' masochistic ritual. He also got smeared as five teammates delivered payback to the king of shaving-cream pies, a Perez tradition he serves during the TV postgame interview to whoever dramatically wins the game.
"I knew it was coming," said Perez after he had rinsed out his Foamy hair.
He earned it. Twice.
Perez, hitting in the eighth spot, had driven in the tying run in the eighth: "That was the at-bat that impressed me," said Thome, who, interestingly, also lent Perez his glove.
With that leather, Perez, a slick middle infielder with little experience at first, committed an error that allowed the Braves' first run to score in the second inning. He bobbled a grounder trying to turn a doubleplay, then compounded that mistake by flipping to first base before pitcher Randy Wolf was ready.
"That was on my mind all night," Perez acknowledged. "I said to myself, 'I have to do something to tie this game.' "
Eventually, his double did that. Later, Thome, who knows the bat companies make sure the stars get better wood in their bats than do bench players, seemed to know the bat had a homer waiting.
"Tomas," he said before Perez hit in the 10th, "that bat's got some pop in it."
Right he was - not that it should come as a surprise. Perez kills the Braves, a .329 batter against them, second only to his success against the Reds.
His success last night overshadowed a strong outing from Braves starter Mike Hampton. After an atrocious beginning to this season, Hampton has surrendered three earned runs in his last 21 2/3 innings after last night's performance: 6 2/3 innings, two runs, one earned.
Hampton left just before Kevin Gryboski walked in the Phillies' first run to make it 2-1 and wasn't around for Perez's double. Perez's night also muted the return of Wolf, who lasted six innings, gave up two runs (one earned) and pitched through lingering stiffness in his left elbow, which had cost him his previous scheduled a start.
Wolf might have had a lead after the first inning if not for the first failure with runners in scoring position. The Phillies won, but manager Larry Bowa still couldn't help but fret about the club's sagging offense, which has scored only seven earned runs in its last four games after wallowing in offense for almost a month before Monday's off day. They're 4-for-36 with runners in scoring position in their last four games, 1-for-10 last night.
"We get a couple of guys swinging the bat for three games in a row, then the next five they disappear," said Bowa, baffled but happy. "This was a big win for us."
Not to mention a big chance for retribution of the prankster type.
"I hope," said Amaury Telemaco, one of the vigilante pie mob, "we get to get him a lot more."
The finger, again
Jim Thome missed the game after receiving a cortisone shot in his right index finger, the digit that cost him five games last week. Thome strained a ligament in the finger compensating for a broken middle fingertip suffered in spring training. He could have played, he said, but, as a lefty hitter, preferred to sit last night against lately effective lefty Mike Hampton, against whom he was 2-for-9. Thome said that he expects the finger to continue bothering him all season even after receiving the shot, which he hoped to avoid with last week's rest.
"Hopefully, I'll really be able to let her loose," he said of his swing, which, despite the pain, has garnered him a .319 average with 11 homers, the best start of his career.
Thome also received a cortisone shot April in his left thumb, which he sprained April 12. His hands have cost him nine starts in the Phillies' 46 games this season.
He expects to receive no more shots this season. He said he'll just play with the pain, if it returns. In the meantime, after going 0-3 in his first absences, the Phillies have gone 5-1 in the last six games he's missed.
His take: "The boys are stepping up."
Phillers
Larry Bowa reported no further complications concerning his daughter, Tori, 20, whose BMW was totaled in a three-car accident outside Citizens Bank Park before Thursday's game. He did add a cracked rib to Tori's injury list (concussion, whiplash). She is interning with the Phillies' marketing department this summer...Tomas Perez dedicated his game to her...Closer Billy Wagner (groin) threw off flat ground yesterday...Braves star leftfielder Chipper Jones left the game after getting hit on the left thigh by Wolf in the first inning and won't play today...First baseman Adam LaRoche left the game after landing hard on his left shoulder and separating it trying to run over Mike Lieberthal at the plate in the second inning. Lieberthal eluded him and tagged him out as he flew past...Leadoff hitter and centerfielder Marlon Byrd was pinch-hit for in the eighth then replaced in the field by Doug Glanville...Tim Worrell, who pitched two innings and got the win (1-1), continued the bullpen's seven-inning scoreless streak against the Braves this series.