GaryMrMets
06-28-2004, 03:18 PM
http://www.courierpostonline.com/news/sports/s062804c.htm
Phils bring their troubles home
Monday, June 28, 2004
Inconsistencies set up a defeat in Boston
By EDWARD de la FUENTE
Gannett News Service
BOSTON
For a team with a wildly inconsistent offense, three runs against Curt Schilling and the Red Sox can seem like 10. But take into account the offense-friendly Fenway Park and the pitcher-unfriendly Boston lineup, and the Phillies had nothing to feel comfortable about.
The third inning Sunday proved that. Phillies starter Brett Myers, one strike away from escaping a bases-loaded jam without allowing a run, instead yielded a pair of two-run doubles on consecutive pitches, leaving the Phillies trailing by a run.
What's more, Schilling came out the next inning seemingly rejuvenated and picked up his 10th victory of the season in Boston's 12-3 defeat of the Phillies.
By game's end, the three runs scored in the first three innings, two on solo home runs, were a distant memory.
"You've got to make them stand up," Phillies manager Larry Bowa said. "It's tough against that team."
Myers wound up allowing eight runs in 6 2/3 innings, ugly numbers considering Bowa was mostly pleased with the way he pitched.
"He made two bad pitches, to (David) Ortiz and (Manny) Ramirez," Bowa said. "That's why they're good players. They hit them."
Ramirez stroked the first double of the third, a ground-rule double that hopped into the Sox bullpen in right field. Two innings later, Ortiz atoned for striking out just before Ramirez's double by blasting a two-run home run to straightaway center field, increasing Boston's advantage to 6-3.
"I had good stuff today," Myers said. "I guess I didn't execute like I should have."
Myers noted that Nomar Garciaparra's double, the second of the third inning, carried over Bobby Abreu's head before landing in the deepest part of right-center field.
"I thought it was right at him," Myers said. "I was walking off the mound. But the ball just kept carrying."
The Phillies (38-35) ended a six-game road trip at 2-4, a disappointing result considering they might have vaulted into first place in the NL East with a better showing.
Instead, they left Boston thinking about a 14-game homestand with more pronounced expectations leading into the All-Star break. Catcher Todd Pratt told teammates he believed the Phillies could be 10 games over .500 at the end of the homestand.
"We can always work to get better," first baseman Jim Thome said. "It would be nice to roll off six or seven victories in a row. You can't look into a crystal ball. All you can do is approach it the same way each day and, before you know it, we might have that streak."
It will be much more difficult to post consecutive wins if the Phillies run into a pitcher like Schilling, who struck out seven in six innings.
"He made some good pitches," said Thome, who went 0-for-4. "But they got a lead, and when you give a team like that a chance, they begin to smell it. Give him credit, he's good. You give him a little bit of an edge, he gets you."
Though the Phillies lost two games to Schilling and Pedro Martinez in the series, the entire road trip was an offensive disappointment. They scored a total of 22 runs (an average of 3.7 a game), but nine came in Saturday's victory over the Red Sox.
Sunday, they left 12 men on base and struck out 11 times.
"Our Achilles' heel has been LOBs (runners left on base) and strikeouts," Bowa said. "That's the reason why we don't score a lot of runs in critical situations."
Returning home to Citizens Bank Park doesn't necessarily make everything better. The Phillies have a .243 average at home, .270 on the road. And if they hope to make up for a disappointing road trip with a bang-up homestand, one thing has to change, as Bowa repeated over and over Sunday.
"Our offense has to be more consistent," he said. "It has to."
Phils bring their troubles home
Monday, June 28, 2004
Inconsistencies set up a defeat in Boston
By EDWARD de la FUENTE
Gannett News Service
BOSTON
For a team with a wildly inconsistent offense, three runs against Curt Schilling and the Red Sox can seem like 10. But take into account the offense-friendly Fenway Park and the pitcher-unfriendly Boston lineup, and the Phillies had nothing to feel comfortable about.
The third inning Sunday proved that. Phillies starter Brett Myers, one strike away from escaping a bases-loaded jam without allowing a run, instead yielded a pair of two-run doubles on consecutive pitches, leaving the Phillies trailing by a run.
What's more, Schilling came out the next inning seemingly rejuvenated and picked up his 10th victory of the season in Boston's 12-3 defeat of the Phillies.
By game's end, the three runs scored in the first three innings, two on solo home runs, were a distant memory.
"You've got to make them stand up," Phillies manager Larry Bowa said. "It's tough against that team."
Myers wound up allowing eight runs in 6 2/3 innings, ugly numbers considering Bowa was mostly pleased with the way he pitched.
"He made two bad pitches, to (David) Ortiz and (Manny) Ramirez," Bowa said. "That's why they're good players. They hit them."
Ramirez stroked the first double of the third, a ground-rule double that hopped into the Sox bullpen in right field. Two innings later, Ortiz atoned for striking out just before Ramirez's double by blasting a two-run home run to straightaway center field, increasing Boston's advantage to 6-3.
"I had good stuff today," Myers said. "I guess I didn't execute like I should have."
Myers noted that Nomar Garciaparra's double, the second of the third inning, carried over Bobby Abreu's head before landing in the deepest part of right-center field.
"I thought it was right at him," Myers said. "I was walking off the mound. But the ball just kept carrying."
The Phillies (38-35) ended a six-game road trip at 2-4, a disappointing result considering they might have vaulted into first place in the NL East with a better showing.
Instead, they left Boston thinking about a 14-game homestand with more pronounced expectations leading into the All-Star break. Catcher Todd Pratt told teammates he believed the Phillies could be 10 games over .500 at the end of the homestand.
"We can always work to get better," first baseman Jim Thome said. "It would be nice to roll off six or seven victories in a row. You can't look into a crystal ball. All you can do is approach it the same way each day and, before you know it, we might have that streak."
It will be much more difficult to post consecutive wins if the Phillies run into a pitcher like Schilling, who struck out seven in six innings.
"He made some good pitches," said Thome, who went 0-for-4. "But they got a lead, and when you give a team like that a chance, they begin to smell it. Give him credit, he's good. You give him a little bit of an edge, he gets you."
Though the Phillies lost two games to Schilling and Pedro Martinez in the series, the entire road trip was an offensive disappointment. They scored a total of 22 runs (an average of 3.7 a game), but nine came in Saturday's victory over the Red Sox.
Sunday, they left 12 men on base and struck out 11 times.
"Our Achilles' heel has been LOBs (runners left on base) and strikeouts," Bowa said. "That's the reason why we don't score a lot of runs in critical situations."
Returning home to Citizens Bank Park doesn't necessarily make everything better. The Phillies have a .243 average at home, .270 on the road. And if they hope to make up for a disappointing road trip with a bang-up homestand, one thing has to change, as Bowa repeated over and over Sunday.
"Our offense has to be more consistent," he said. "It has to."