GaryMrMets
06-06-2004, 01:30 AM
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/sports/8845314.htm
Posted on Sat, Jun. 05, 2004
Lieberthal ignites Phils
By Jim Salisbury
Inquirer Staff Writer
ATLANTA - The ball rocketed off Mike Lieberthal's bat and headed for center field. Going... going... caught at the 400-foot marker by Andruw Jones.
That was in the second inning. Lieberthal can't hit a ball much better, but that was small consolation to the Phillies catcher, who has been mired in a season-long slump.
Five innings later, Lieberthal hit another ball to center field. He might not have hit it quite as well as the line-drive out in the second, but this one disappeared over the wall.
Lieberthal's sixth home run gave the Phillies and Eric Milton some breathing room as they beat the Atlanta Braves, 9-1, last night at Turner Field.
Milton pitched seven innings and allowed one run en route to his seventh win.
And the Phillies' offense welcomed back an old friend - the long ball.
Bobby Abreu smacked a two-run shot, his 12th, in the first inning.
Lieberthal's homer in the seventh made the score 3-1.
An inning later, the Phils rallied for six runs to ease some tension and put the game out of reach.
Afterward, manager Larry Bowa munched on chicken in his office and spat out answers, still sounding a little frustrated at the lack of offense leading up to last night's win.
Bowa was asked specifically if he liked what he saw in Lieberthal's swing.
"I like the way everybody swings when you score nine runs," he said. "Everybody swung better. It's a beautiful thing getting a lot of runs. Everyone relaxes. The pitchers make pitches; the fielders make plays."
The Phillies and Braves have played six games this season, each team winning three. They will play day games today and tomorrow. (Yes, there is something else going on today besides that big race in New York.)
Both the Phillies' home runs last night came off bespectacled righthander Travis Smith, who looks as much like a spelling-bee champ as he does a major-league pitcher.
Smith, 31, is literally a journeyman. He pitched in South Korea last year.
Last night's start was just the 12th of his big-league career. He gave up just three runs, all coming on the homers by Abreu and Lieberthal. Otherwise, Smith was pretty stingy, allowing just four other hits and striking out six in seven innings.
Smith exited trailing by just 3-1. The Phillies blew the game open in the top of the eighth inning against relievers Kevin Gryboski and Juan Cruz.
Gryboski allowed an infield single and two walks to open the inning. With the bases loaded, Pat Burrell chopped a ball to third baseman Jesse Garcia. The ball clanged off Garcia's glove for an error, allowing two runs to score.
Two batters later, Lieberthal doubled to left, scoring another run as the Phillies took a 6-1 lead. Three batters after Lieberthal's double, Jimmy Rollins smacked a bases-loaded double to right for the 9-1 cushion.
The offense had scuffled lately - the team batting average was .217 and the Phillies had scored fewer than three runs a game in the previous 10 - so maybe the nine runs were a sign that the bats are awakening.
Maybe Lieberthal is coming around, too. He hit a career-high .313 last year, but entered last night hitting just .224 and tinkering with his swing. Hitting three balls hard should help his confidence.
"So far, every at-bat in this series, I've hit the ball pretty hard," Lieberthal said. "Hopefully, I have something, but it's hard to get too deep. I'll let you know in two or three weeks."
Milton's confidence should also be in good shape. Facing the Braves twice in a week, he has put together his two best starts of the season. Both times he has gone seven innings and allowed just one run.
"He's been a good pitcher for us all year," Bowa said. "He competes. He battles. He never gives up."
Milton's only rough inning was the first. Pitching with a 2-0 lead, thanks to Abreu's homer, he gave up three first-inning singles and a walk as the Braves cut the Phils' lead in half.
The damage, and for that matter the course of the game, could have been different if Milton hadn't registered a clutch bases-loaded strikeout of Mike Hessman to end the inning.
"Milton pitched great," Lieberthal said. "He was hitting his spot with his fastball away really well. He's fun to catch. He's never wild."
Milton had the luxury of not facing the Braves' best lineup.
Hot-hitting catcher Johnny Estrada and rightfielder J.D. Drew got the night off, and Chipper Jones rested his sore hamstring.
"Anytime you play them without Chipper, Drew and Johnny in the lineup, you have to take advantage," Bowa said.
"Obviously, some big players were out of their lineup," Lieberthal said. "So it was big for us to get this win."
Posted on Sat, Jun. 05, 2004
Lieberthal ignites Phils
By Jim Salisbury
Inquirer Staff Writer
ATLANTA - The ball rocketed off Mike Lieberthal's bat and headed for center field. Going... going... caught at the 400-foot marker by Andruw Jones.
That was in the second inning. Lieberthal can't hit a ball much better, but that was small consolation to the Phillies catcher, who has been mired in a season-long slump.
Five innings later, Lieberthal hit another ball to center field. He might not have hit it quite as well as the line-drive out in the second, but this one disappeared over the wall.
Lieberthal's sixth home run gave the Phillies and Eric Milton some breathing room as they beat the Atlanta Braves, 9-1, last night at Turner Field.
Milton pitched seven innings and allowed one run en route to his seventh win.
And the Phillies' offense welcomed back an old friend - the long ball.
Bobby Abreu smacked a two-run shot, his 12th, in the first inning.
Lieberthal's homer in the seventh made the score 3-1.
An inning later, the Phils rallied for six runs to ease some tension and put the game out of reach.
Afterward, manager Larry Bowa munched on chicken in his office and spat out answers, still sounding a little frustrated at the lack of offense leading up to last night's win.
Bowa was asked specifically if he liked what he saw in Lieberthal's swing.
"I like the way everybody swings when you score nine runs," he said. "Everybody swung better. It's a beautiful thing getting a lot of runs. Everyone relaxes. The pitchers make pitches; the fielders make plays."
The Phillies and Braves have played six games this season, each team winning three. They will play day games today and tomorrow. (Yes, there is something else going on today besides that big race in New York.)
Both the Phillies' home runs last night came off bespectacled righthander Travis Smith, who looks as much like a spelling-bee champ as he does a major-league pitcher.
Smith, 31, is literally a journeyman. He pitched in South Korea last year.
Last night's start was just the 12th of his big-league career. He gave up just three runs, all coming on the homers by Abreu and Lieberthal. Otherwise, Smith was pretty stingy, allowing just four other hits and striking out six in seven innings.
Smith exited trailing by just 3-1. The Phillies blew the game open in the top of the eighth inning against relievers Kevin Gryboski and Juan Cruz.
Gryboski allowed an infield single and two walks to open the inning. With the bases loaded, Pat Burrell chopped a ball to third baseman Jesse Garcia. The ball clanged off Garcia's glove for an error, allowing two runs to score.
Two batters later, Lieberthal doubled to left, scoring another run as the Phillies took a 6-1 lead. Three batters after Lieberthal's double, Jimmy Rollins smacked a bases-loaded double to right for the 9-1 cushion.
The offense had scuffled lately - the team batting average was .217 and the Phillies had scored fewer than three runs a game in the previous 10 - so maybe the nine runs were a sign that the bats are awakening.
Maybe Lieberthal is coming around, too. He hit a career-high .313 last year, but entered last night hitting just .224 and tinkering with his swing. Hitting three balls hard should help his confidence.
"So far, every at-bat in this series, I've hit the ball pretty hard," Lieberthal said. "Hopefully, I have something, but it's hard to get too deep. I'll let you know in two or three weeks."
Milton's confidence should also be in good shape. Facing the Braves twice in a week, he has put together his two best starts of the season. Both times he has gone seven innings and allowed just one run.
"He's been a good pitcher for us all year," Bowa said. "He competes. He battles. He never gives up."
Milton's only rough inning was the first. Pitching with a 2-0 lead, thanks to Abreu's homer, he gave up three first-inning singles and a walk as the Braves cut the Phils' lead in half.
The damage, and for that matter the course of the game, could have been different if Milton hadn't registered a clutch bases-loaded strikeout of Mike Hessman to end the inning.
"Milton pitched great," Lieberthal said. "He was hitting his spot with his fastball away really well. He's fun to catch. He's never wild."
Milton had the luxury of not facing the Braves' best lineup.
Hot-hitting catcher Johnny Estrada and rightfielder J.D. Drew got the night off, and Chipper Jones rested his sore hamstring.
"Anytime you play them without Chipper, Drew and Johnny in the lineup, you have to take advantage," Bowa said.
"Obviously, some big players were out of their lineup," Lieberthal said. "So it was big for us to get this win."