Burrell Strikes Twice

Second Walk-Off Blast in Three Days Hands Phils Win Over Braves

If you're not into superstition or eerie coincidences, perhaps the Phillies' 7-5, 11-inning win over the Atlanta Braves, Wednesday night at the Vet, isn't for you. In fact if that stuff bugs you, maybe you should just stop reading this all together.

That's because the similarities between Pat Burrell's game-winning home run last Sunday and his walk-off piece in Wednesday night's win off Kerry Ligtenberg are absolutely uncanny. It almost makes one want to call up Miss Cleo or something.

	Pat Burrell pumps his fist after his second game-winning home run in three days. (AP)

Firstly, Burrell's homer Sunday and his one to beat the Braves both came in the 11th inning, on a first-pitch fastball in a game where the Phils needed to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth to set the table for his heroics.

Secondly, Cliff Politte has earned both of his wins thanks to Burrell's first pitch, 11th inning, walk-off homers. Next time Burrell comes up in the 11th, Politte (2-0, 0.00) will probably be out there.

It would get even weirder if this were correct: they both came in games, as Burrell says, where the slugging left fielder didn't even start. Against the Braves, Burrell was only in there because Bobby Abreu tweaked his left hamstring while running out a first-inning double. Had Abreu been able to finish the game, perhaps Burrell doesn't even get a second chance.

As for Burrell saying he didn't get the start last Sunday, who knows what he's talking about. He didn't start last Saturday but that's a different story. As for this story, Burrell doesn't know what to think. Kind of like the rest of us.

"It was funny day. It was pretty unbelievable. I wasn't in the lineup and wasn't expecting to play and then I had to get ready fast and get out there. It was definitely a different kind of day for me," Burrell said. "That 11th inning happened so fast I didn't know what to think."

Just like in Sunday' game where Burrell admitting to talking the ball, he added some theatrics to his circle around the bases during his latest heroics. As he was running up the first base line, he appeared to have been gesturing toward his team's dugout. What gives?

"I don't know what I was doing," Burrell said. "I was just excited."

But Burrell's excitement was just the tip of the iceberg. Just two innings prior, Scott Rolen pushed the momentum the Phils way with some table-setting heroics of his own.

With two outs in the ninth and Braves closer John Smoltz throwing nasty, 96-m.p.h. heat, Rolen slugged Smoltz's first offering 398-feet for a game-tying home run.

Is that crazy or what?

"It's definitely something," Rolen quipped.

While tying the game and forcing extra innings, Rolen won the latest battle of a nice little rivalry that is building between him and Smoltz. Last Sept. 18, Rolen stroked a game-winning single to right in the ninth off Smoltz to give the Phils an important win during the season's last two weeks.

On Monday, Smoltz evened the score when he got Rolen to pop up weakly to second with the tying and winning runs on base with no outs. After getting Rolen, Smoltz whiffed Travis Lee and Burrell for his first save.

Wednesday night against Rolen, he couldn't nail down number two.

"He's going to come at you so you have to go at him," Rolen said of Smoltz.

By going at and getting Smoltz, Rolen seems to have rattled the veteran Cy Young Award winner, who says from now on he's not thinking about what to throw Rolen but what he won't throw him. Be that as it may, Rolen doesn't think he has any advantage over Smoltz despite his success.

"I don't think there is an advantage for me when he's throwing 95, 96 m.p.h.," he said.

It would seem that the Braves would have had some advantages following Smoltz's save on Monday, according to Phils manager Larry Bowa. From his experience as a player, coach and now manager, he's seen teams fail like the Phils did against the Braves' closer and go into a swoon. Inexplicably, says Bowa, not only aren't his guys letting bad losses get them down, they completely forget about them by the time the next day rolls around.

Perhaps this is all apart of the vagaries of youth, Bowa says.

"It's not the way we won [Wednesday] it's coming back from the way we lost the first game that's impressive to me," Bowa said. "With runners on first and third and no outs and we end up losing... that could be a big-time carryover and it wasn't.

"The one thing about this team is that it's very resilient," the skipper said. "The manager and coaches take losses harder and wonder how it's going to be the next day. These guys come in and it's all forgotten. I'd like to be able to do that. Maybe they'll teach me how to do that."

It works the other way too, if you think the latest walk-off win will be a momentum builder for Thursday's game, forget says Rolen.

"Tomorrow, we come here with a clear mind. We're not going to come here and think about what happened today. That's the whole idea. Because I walked out of the clubhouse in a good mood (Monday) didn't mean I had any chance of success today."

Meanwhile, the Phils wasted another solid performance from starter Brandon Duckworth. In his second start of the season (13th of his career) the 26-year old righty pitched seven innings and got nine strikeouts while allowing three runs, which follows a 10-strikeout performance in the home opener last Friday.

During one stretch against the Braves, Duckworth retired 12 of 13, which is the antithesis of how he started the game. The first pitch of the game was a little slug-bunt by Rafael Furcal past Rolen at third and then the second pitch was crushed over the fence in left by Andruw Jones. Marcus Giles hit a solo shot in the seventh to account for the third run off Duckworth.

But two pitches, two runs. Wow.

	Pat Burrell celebrates with his teammates following his latest heroics. (AP)

"Two pitches, two runs, I'm thinking, 'Wait a minute,' what's going on here?'" Duckworth said. "I didn't even have time to breathe. But it ended up being what I needed to relax a little bit and make sure to get the next guy out."

The Phils and Braves finish the four-game series Thursday when David Coggin (0-0, 4.15) faces Tom Glavine (1-0, 1.35). For Coggin, the start could be his last for a while since he's heading for the bullpen once Randy Wolf is activated from the 15-day disabled list in time for his start against the Reds on Friday.

Glavine beat the Phillies on the season opener and last pitched Saturday where he took a no decision in an 11-2 loss to the Mets.

Following the Braves, the Reds come to town for a weekend series before the Phils head on the road for six games in Florida and Pittsburgh.

Notes: Bowa says Abreu is day-to-day and will keep him out of the lineup in Thursday's game. Either John Mabry or Ricky Ledee will take his place, according to Bowa. Also, Travis Lee will sit against the lefty Glavine. Dave Hollins will play in his stead. ... Lee snapped a 1-for-23 streak with a two-run triple in the fifth that put the Phils up 4-2. He singled to right his next time up in the seventh. ... With four doubles Wednesday night, the Phils lead the National League with 23. ... Rolen's homer was his 67th at Veterans Stadium, which ties him with Darren Daulton for fourth place all-time. … John Ennis, with only one start as high as Double-A in a four-season pro career, started for the Braves. He lasted four innings and gave up two runs and five hits.

John R. Finger
ComcastSportsNet.com