GaryMrMets
08-04-2004, 05:46 PM
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/sports/9315315.htm
Posted on Wed, Aug. 04, 2004
Phillies hang on to avoid disaster
By Todd Zolecki
Inquirer Staff Writer
SAN DIEGO - Every pitch of every inning of every game is important for the Phillies these days.
They need wins in the worst way.
They got one last night at Petco Park after a few tense moments in the bottom of the ninth before Tim Worrell worked out of a jam. The Phillies scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning on their way to a 5-2 victory over the San Diego Padres that moved them within 41/2 games of Atlanta - which lost last night - in the National League East and within four games of the Padres in the NL wild-card race.
Maybe the cool Pacific breeze helped.
Maybe it was the time zone.
"Any time you get a day off in San Diego, players got to be doing backflips over that," a relaxed Phillies manager Larry Bowa said before the game. "It's the greatest city in the world."
The Phillies are 15-5 against the NL West this season. They are 6-1 against the Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers, whom the Phillies play this weekend.
In fact, the last time the Phillies had a winning streak longer than three games was in May, when they swept the Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park and beat the Padres in the first game of a three-game series.
If they got on another roll like that, the Phillies certainly wouldn't mind.
They improved to 2-6 on their 13-game road trip through Florida, Chicago, San Diego and Los Angeles.
A hot streak against the Padres and Dodgers would save their trip.
Maybe even their season.
The Padres took a 1-0 lead in the fourth and it looked as if it might hold up. Padres pitcher Brian Lawrence allowed just three hits and four base runners before Pat Burrell singled to right field with one out in the seventh. Catcher Mike Lieberthal then walked with two outs to put runners on first and second.
Padres manager Bruce Bochy had seen enough. He called for righthander Scott Linebrink in the bullpen.
Linebrink entered with a 1.89 ERA.
He hadn't allowed a run in his previous 11 outings.
But centerfielder Marlon Byrd, who became the team's everyday centerfielder Sunday in Chicago, singled up the middle to score Burrell and tied the game. Pinch-hitter Chase Utley then singled to right field to score Lieberthal. Utley is 7 for 14 with seven RBIs against the Padres this season.
On that same play, Byrd tried for third, and Brian Giles' throw got away from Sean Burroughs.
Byrd scored.
Players in the Phillies dugout jumped to life.
Phillies first baseman Jim Thome, who hit just .229 with four homers and 15 RBIs in July, hit a solo homer off Padres pitcher Rod Beck in the eighth to make it 4-1. It was his major-league-leading 32d home run of the season.
The Phillies added another run in the ninth to put the game away.
Phillies righthander Brett Myers allowed just five hits and one run in six innings. After a brutal July in which he went 0-3 with a 7.99 ERA, he looked like he did last season, when he won 14 games.
It was easily his best effort since July 17 against Detroit, when he allowed four hits and one earned run in seven innings in a 6-2 victory over the Tigers.
The Padres scored their only run in the fourth. Mark Loretta hit a smash to third base, which David Bell couldn't handle, for a leadoff single. Ryan Klesko followed with a dribbler that second baseman Placido Polanco had to charge.
Polanco flipped the ball to first, but it missed his target as Loretta scooted to third.
Phil Nevin's single up the middle scored Loretta.
Polanco left the game in the bottom in the seventh after getting hit in the left elbow with a pitch in the sixth. It was said to be precautionary, after he took a hit in the head when he slid into second base fourth.
The Phillies try to make it two straight tonight, the first time they would have won back-to-back games since they beat the Cubs twice at Citizens Bank Park.
It seems like forever since that happened.
Back then the Phillies trailed the Braves by just half a game in the East.
Back then everything was much, much calmer.
Then again, winning does that.
Posted on Wed, Aug. 04, 2004
Phillies hang on to avoid disaster
By Todd Zolecki
Inquirer Staff Writer
SAN DIEGO - Every pitch of every inning of every game is important for the Phillies these days.
They need wins in the worst way.
They got one last night at Petco Park after a few tense moments in the bottom of the ninth before Tim Worrell worked out of a jam. The Phillies scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning on their way to a 5-2 victory over the San Diego Padres that moved them within 41/2 games of Atlanta - which lost last night - in the National League East and within four games of the Padres in the NL wild-card race.
Maybe the cool Pacific breeze helped.
Maybe it was the time zone.
"Any time you get a day off in San Diego, players got to be doing backflips over that," a relaxed Phillies manager Larry Bowa said before the game. "It's the greatest city in the world."
The Phillies are 15-5 against the NL West this season. They are 6-1 against the Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers, whom the Phillies play this weekend.
In fact, the last time the Phillies had a winning streak longer than three games was in May, when they swept the Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park and beat the Padres in the first game of a three-game series.
If they got on another roll like that, the Phillies certainly wouldn't mind.
They improved to 2-6 on their 13-game road trip through Florida, Chicago, San Diego and Los Angeles.
A hot streak against the Padres and Dodgers would save their trip.
Maybe even their season.
The Padres took a 1-0 lead in the fourth and it looked as if it might hold up. Padres pitcher Brian Lawrence allowed just three hits and four base runners before Pat Burrell singled to right field with one out in the seventh. Catcher Mike Lieberthal then walked with two outs to put runners on first and second.
Padres manager Bruce Bochy had seen enough. He called for righthander Scott Linebrink in the bullpen.
Linebrink entered with a 1.89 ERA.
He hadn't allowed a run in his previous 11 outings.
But centerfielder Marlon Byrd, who became the team's everyday centerfielder Sunday in Chicago, singled up the middle to score Burrell and tied the game. Pinch-hitter Chase Utley then singled to right field to score Lieberthal. Utley is 7 for 14 with seven RBIs against the Padres this season.
On that same play, Byrd tried for third, and Brian Giles' throw got away from Sean Burroughs.
Byrd scored.
Players in the Phillies dugout jumped to life.
Phillies first baseman Jim Thome, who hit just .229 with four homers and 15 RBIs in July, hit a solo homer off Padres pitcher Rod Beck in the eighth to make it 4-1. It was his major-league-leading 32d home run of the season.
The Phillies added another run in the ninth to put the game away.
Phillies righthander Brett Myers allowed just five hits and one run in six innings. After a brutal July in which he went 0-3 with a 7.99 ERA, he looked like he did last season, when he won 14 games.
It was easily his best effort since July 17 against Detroit, when he allowed four hits and one earned run in seven innings in a 6-2 victory over the Tigers.
The Padres scored their only run in the fourth. Mark Loretta hit a smash to third base, which David Bell couldn't handle, for a leadoff single. Ryan Klesko followed with a dribbler that second baseman Placido Polanco had to charge.
Polanco flipped the ball to first, but it missed his target as Loretta scooted to third.
Phil Nevin's single up the middle scored Loretta.
Polanco left the game in the bottom in the seventh after getting hit in the left elbow with a pitch in the sixth. It was said to be precautionary, after he took a hit in the head when he slid into second base fourth.
The Phillies try to make it two straight tonight, the first time they would have won back-to-back games since they beat the Cubs twice at Citizens Bank Park.
It seems like forever since that happened.
Back then the Phillies trailed the Braves by just half a game in the East.
Back then everything was much, much calmer.
Then again, winning does that.