GaryMrMets
07-29-2004, 03:56 PM
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/sports/9268795.htm
Posted on Thu, Jul. 29, 2004
Phils flounder against Fish again
By MARCUS HAYES
hayesm@phillynews.com
Recalling philosopher Yogi Berra, Larry Bowa called it "deja vu all over again" when his Phillies face the Fish. He did that before the game.
"As soon as something bad happens, your memory reverts. Same when you have good things happen," the Phillies manager explained before last night's game.
Maybe he had a premonition, too.
Hee Seop Choi crushed Tim Worrell's two-out pitch in the eighth into the rightfield stands, a three-run shot for a 6-3 final that broke a tie, averted extra innings and extended the Phillies' Marlin misery. As for deja vu, Worrell blew a save in a loss to the Marlins on April 21.
"The hard part of tonight is the timing of it," said Worrell, now 3-4. "And it's been everybody. It was my turn tonight."
Because of that, the Marlins stand at the cusp of a four-game sweep of the Phillies with an afternoon game today. The Phillies have lost 10 of 11 to the Marlins this year, 13 straight here, and 22 of their last 25 against the world champions.
This, after Bowa called all the losing "embarrassing" the night before, and after three players criticized Bowa, coaches and the front office for making the clubhouse atmosphere unproductively tense, especially during the rain delay Tuesday.
Last night's game had two rain delays totaling 73 minutes, all with the Phillies trailing.
Nice timing.
So, guys...embarrassed?
"Yeah. You could say embarrassing," pitcher Kevin Millwood said.
"We made some great plays tonight, played great defense," Bowa said, careful to frame his presentation.
"They're uncanny in their two-out hits, especially against us."
As for the Marlins' dominance and Bowa's previous characterization of it, the manager would not be goaded: "You started some stuff yesterday. So we'll just leave it at, they get two-out hits."
As for the importance of today's game, which would avert a sweep, keep the Phillies above .500, keep them from falling as much as 3 ½ games behind Atlanta and having Florida catch them:
"It's huge. We've got to gear it up and get a 'W' and go to Chicago on a good note," leftfielder Pat Burrell said.
Bowa needed foresight because Choi hadn't been effective against the Phillies - not as effective as leadoff hitter Juan Pierre, No. 2 hitter Luis Castillo, Mike Lowell and Phillies killer Jeff Conine. That's where the deja vu flared.
Lowell's double drove in two runs in the third inning. Lowell did the same thing as in the opener Monday - drove in Pierre and Castillo - to finish the killing rally, moving the score to 3-0.
On Tuesday, Lowell failed, but Miguel Cabrera, who hits just behind him in the fourth slot, drove in Pierre.
Pierre and Castillo sometimes falter, but they feast on the Phillies. In this season's series, Castillo is 15-for-37 with 10 runs scored and eight RBI, his best numbers against anyone in the National League. Pierre is 15-for-47, with a season-best 12 runs and six steals, including two runs and a steal last night.
The Marlins have scored 22 runs in this series; Pierre and Castillo have scored 11 of them.
Oh, yes: The Phillies failed to pounce in their best early chance, too, just as they did in the first two games.
With runners on first and second and one out in the second inning, David Bell flied out to center to fall to 2-for-24 in the last eight games. Mike Lieberthal followed with a first-and-third groundout, lowering his team-worst average to .132 with runners in scoring position.
After a 29-minute rain delay between the third and fourth, Placido Polanco and Bobby Abreu started the sixth with singles to put runners on the corners for Jim Thome and chase starter Brad Penny, who was taking air from a respirator before the inning and left with a heat-related illness.
Reliever Aaron Small withstood the heat OK. Hitless in six at-bats against Small to that point, Thome worked the count full, then pulled an RBI single to right to make the score 3-2.
Burrell and Ricky Ledee flied out to left; Bell, who had grounded out in the fifth, did it again to drop to his skid to 2-for-26.
Big moment...no payoff.
Deja vu.
Phillies starter Brett Myers walked the first two batters in the sixth and left in favor of Brian Powell, formerly the long reliever, but now filling an elevated role, with the bullpen flagging and down Ryan Madson and Billy Wagner.
Powell escaped, thanks to a sweet throw from Ledee to get Lowell, who tried to tag and score on a shallow fly to centerfield. Josh Hancock pitched a clean seventh after 44 more minutes of delay between the top and bottom of the inning.
Polanco walked off reliever Matt Perisho to start the eighth, but Abreu and Thome both struck out. Burrell doubled Polanco in to make it 3-3. It was his third RBI since the All-Star break.
Then Choi joined the party. Lowell already had done his damage.
All over again.
Phillers
Amaury Telemaco, on the disabled list with a shoulder injury but 3 days from a scheduled return, will join the team here today in case Billy Wagner (strained left shoulder) lands on the disabled list after today's exam in Philadelphia...Jim Thome still was weakened and queasy after Tuesday's bout with stomach flu that cost him a start, but he was in the lineup last night...David Bell, nursing a strained thigh, will get today off but should play all three day games this weekend in Chicago against the Cubs.
http://www.philly.com/images/philly/dailynews/9272/85973728888.jpg
Phillies starter Brett Myers allowed three runs on five innings
Posted on Thu, Jul. 29, 2004
Phils flounder against Fish again
By MARCUS HAYES
hayesm@phillynews.com
Recalling philosopher Yogi Berra, Larry Bowa called it "deja vu all over again" when his Phillies face the Fish. He did that before the game.
"As soon as something bad happens, your memory reverts. Same when you have good things happen," the Phillies manager explained before last night's game.
Maybe he had a premonition, too.
Hee Seop Choi crushed Tim Worrell's two-out pitch in the eighth into the rightfield stands, a three-run shot for a 6-3 final that broke a tie, averted extra innings and extended the Phillies' Marlin misery. As for deja vu, Worrell blew a save in a loss to the Marlins on April 21.
"The hard part of tonight is the timing of it," said Worrell, now 3-4. "And it's been everybody. It was my turn tonight."
Because of that, the Marlins stand at the cusp of a four-game sweep of the Phillies with an afternoon game today. The Phillies have lost 10 of 11 to the Marlins this year, 13 straight here, and 22 of their last 25 against the world champions.
This, after Bowa called all the losing "embarrassing" the night before, and after three players criticized Bowa, coaches and the front office for making the clubhouse atmosphere unproductively tense, especially during the rain delay Tuesday.
Last night's game had two rain delays totaling 73 minutes, all with the Phillies trailing.
Nice timing.
So, guys...embarrassed?
"Yeah. You could say embarrassing," pitcher Kevin Millwood said.
"We made some great plays tonight, played great defense," Bowa said, careful to frame his presentation.
"They're uncanny in their two-out hits, especially against us."
As for the Marlins' dominance and Bowa's previous characterization of it, the manager would not be goaded: "You started some stuff yesterday. So we'll just leave it at, they get two-out hits."
As for the importance of today's game, which would avert a sweep, keep the Phillies above .500, keep them from falling as much as 3 ½ games behind Atlanta and having Florida catch them:
"It's huge. We've got to gear it up and get a 'W' and go to Chicago on a good note," leftfielder Pat Burrell said.
Bowa needed foresight because Choi hadn't been effective against the Phillies - not as effective as leadoff hitter Juan Pierre, No. 2 hitter Luis Castillo, Mike Lowell and Phillies killer Jeff Conine. That's where the deja vu flared.
Lowell's double drove in two runs in the third inning. Lowell did the same thing as in the opener Monday - drove in Pierre and Castillo - to finish the killing rally, moving the score to 3-0.
On Tuesday, Lowell failed, but Miguel Cabrera, who hits just behind him in the fourth slot, drove in Pierre.
Pierre and Castillo sometimes falter, but they feast on the Phillies. In this season's series, Castillo is 15-for-37 with 10 runs scored and eight RBI, his best numbers against anyone in the National League. Pierre is 15-for-47, with a season-best 12 runs and six steals, including two runs and a steal last night.
The Marlins have scored 22 runs in this series; Pierre and Castillo have scored 11 of them.
Oh, yes: The Phillies failed to pounce in their best early chance, too, just as they did in the first two games.
With runners on first and second and one out in the second inning, David Bell flied out to center to fall to 2-for-24 in the last eight games. Mike Lieberthal followed with a first-and-third groundout, lowering his team-worst average to .132 with runners in scoring position.
After a 29-minute rain delay between the third and fourth, Placido Polanco and Bobby Abreu started the sixth with singles to put runners on the corners for Jim Thome and chase starter Brad Penny, who was taking air from a respirator before the inning and left with a heat-related illness.
Reliever Aaron Small withstood the heat OK. Hitless in six at-bats against Small to that point, Thome worked the count full, then pulled an RBI single to right to make the score 3-2.
Burrell and Ricky Ledee flied out to left; Bell, who had grounded out in the fifth, did it again to drop to his skid to 2-for-26.
Big moment...no payoff.
Deja vu.
Phillies starter Brett Myers walked the first two batters in the sixth and left in favor of Brian Powell, formerly the long reliever, but now filling an elevated role, with the bullpen flagging and down Ryan Madson and Billy Wagner.
Powell escaped, thanks to a sweet throw from Ledee to get Lowell, who tried to tag and score on a shallow fly to centerfield. Josh Hancock pitched a clean seventh after 44 more minutes of delay between the top and bottom of the inning.
Polanco walked off reliever Matt Perisho to start the eighth, but Abreu and Thome both struck out. Burrell doubled Polanco in to make it 3-3. It was his third RBI since the All-Star break.
Then Choi joined the party. Lowell already had done his damage.
All over again.
Phillers
Amaury Telemaco, on the disabled list with a shoulder injury but 3 days from a scheduled return, will join the team here today in case Billy Wagner (strained left shoulder) lands on the disabled list after today's exam in Philadelphia...Jim Thome still was weakened and queasy after Tuesday's bout with stomach flu that cost him a start, but he was in the lineup last night...David Bell, nursing a strained thigh, will get today off but should play all three day games this weekend in Chicago against the Cubs.
http://www.philly.com/images/philly/dailynews/9272/85973728888.jpg
Phillies starter Brett Myers allowed three runs on five innings