GaryMrMets
05-29-2004, 07:54 PM
http://www.courierpostonline.com/news/sports/s052904b.htm
Perez poses as Thome, wins a game
Saturday, May 29, 2004
Playing first for hurt star, he sends Phils home with HR
By MARTIN FRANK
Gannett News Service
PHILADELPHIA
Tomas Perez is not nearly as big or strong as Jim Thome, nor does he approach the hulking first baseman as a power hitter.
But he does use Thome's bat, which evidently counts for something.
Perez's double tied the game in the eighth, and his home run in the 10th enabled the Phillies to beat the Braves 3-2 Friday.
"Thome told me that bat has some pop in it," Perez said. "I have to enjoy this because it doesn't happen too often to me."
Perez might not survive if it did happen more often. After his home run, his teammates gang-tackled him at home plate, then four of them stuffed shaving cream pies in his face during a TV interview.
Thome sat out the game after getting a cortisone shot in his painful right index finger. Perez also used Thome's glove, but he wasn't bragging about that after his second-inning error enabled the Braves to score their first run.
He was bragging about the home run, which enabled the Phillies (26-20) to remain one game behind the first-place Marlins in the NL East. Perez hit a sinker away and somehow pulled it, into the wind, just over the fence.
"Hey, if he keeps winning ballgames for us, he can take two dozen of them," Thome said about his bats. "If the other guys do what he did, they can borrow whatever they want, too."
Perez's heroics, however, didn't totally overshadow the Phillies' offensive struggles.
The Phillies have scored just 11 runs in their last four games, and were being shut out into the seventh inning by Braves starter Mike Hampton.
"We get a couple of guys swinging the bat well for three games, then the next five, they disappear," Bowa said. "We need consistency. You end up relying on home runs, and it's not easy to hit home runs all the time."
Randy Wolf kept the Phillies close after missing his last start because of tendinitis in his left elbow. He left trailing 2-0 after throwing 89 pitches over six innings to a Braves team that lost three starters to injury by the second inning.
Franco suffered back stiffness just before the game and was replaced by Adam LaRoche. Chipper Jones left in the first inning when Wolf's pitch hit him on the left leg. LaRoche left in the second after he was thrown out at the plate on a fielder's choice groundout. LaRoche suffered a separated shoulder and is likely headed to the disabled list.
The Phils got a run in the seventh when Pat Burrell walked with the bases loaded. Perez doubled in Chase Utley to tie the game in the eighth.
He was only getting warmed up.
Perez poses as Thome, wins a game
Saturday, May 29, 2004
Playing first for hurt star, he sends Phils home with HR
By MARTIN FRANK
Gannett News Service
PHILADELPHIA
Tomas Perez is not nearly as big or strong as Jim Thome, nor does he approach the hulking first baseman as a power hitter.
But he does use Thome's bat, which evidently counts for something.
Perez's double tied the game in the eighth, and his home run in the 10th enabled the Phillies to beat the Braves 3-2 Friday.
"Thome told me that bat has some pop in it," Perez said. "I have to enjoy this because it doesn't happen too often to me."
Perez might not survive if it did happen more often. After his home run, his teammates gang-tackled him at home plate, then four of them stuffed shaving cream pies in his face during a TV interview.
Thome sat out the game after getting a cortisone shot in his painful right index finger. Perez also used Thome's glove, but he wasn't bragging about that after his second-inning error enabled the Braves to score their first run.
He was bragging about the home run, which enabled the Phillies (26-20) to remain one game behind the first-place Marlins in the NL East. Perez hit a sinker away and somehow pulled it, into the wind, just over the fence.
"Hey, if he keeps winning ballgames for us, he can take two dozen of them," Thome said about his bats. "If the other guys do what he did, they can borrow whatever they want, too."
Perez's heroics, however, didn't totally overshadow the Phillies' offensive struggles.
The Phillies have scored just 11 runs in their last four games, and were being shut out into the seventh inning by Braves starter Mike Hampton.
"We get a couple of guys swinging the bat well for three games, then the next five, they disappear," Bowa said. "We need consistency. You end up relying on home runs, and it's not easy to hit home runs all the time."
Randy Wolf kept the Phillies close after missing his last start because of tendinitis in his left elbow. He left trailing 2-0 after throwing 89 pitches over six innings to a Braves team that lost three starters to injury by the second inning.
Franco suffered back stiffness just before the game and was replaced by Adam LaRoche. Chipper Jones left in the first inning when Wolf's pitch hit him on the left leg. LaRoche left in the second after he was thrown out at the plate on a fielder's choice groundout. LaRoche suffered a separated shoulder and is likely headed to the disabled list.
The Phils got a run in the seventh when Pat Burrell walked with the bases loaded. Perez doubled in Chase Utley to tie the game in the eighth.
He was only getting warmed up.