Burrell Lifts Phils to 2-1 Victory over Braves
Pat Burrell talks to Harry Kalas about his glove and his bat.
It's been a tough start of the season for Pat Burrell, but he took a major step toward turning things around Saturday night. Burrell used his bat, his glove and his arm to lift the Phillies to a 2-1 victory and seventh win in their first 10 games.
 | |
| Pat Burrell robs Chipper Jones of extra-bases in the eighth inning. |
With the game tied at one, nobody on and two outs in the sixth, Burrell drilled Kevin Millwood's 1-0 pitch down the left-field line for his first home run of the season.
"It's not like I'm going up there trying to hit a home run," Burrell said. "The home runs are fine, I'm just trying to hit the ball in play."
"He (Burrell) can be 0-for-10 with 10 punchouts and you still hold your breath when he's up there," Phils manager Larry Bowa said. "I don't think this kid rattles to the point where he doesn't know what's happening. Right now, he's just going through a funk."
In the bottom of the eighth, Burrell made a tough running catch against the wall on a flyball off the bat of Chipper Jones. Two batters later, Javy Lopez grounded one down the left-field line and, for some reason, thought he had an easy double. However, Burrell threw a perfect strike to Marlon Anderson and caught Lopez by a mile.
"I've never had a chance to throw guys out or make a catch against the wall," Burrell said. "I'm pretty excited. It's something I've been working at. I think the more I play, the more comfortable I'm going to get."
Omar Daal allowed a run and six hits in six innings while walking two and striking out four. Wayne Gomes, the beneficiary of Burrell's defense, pitched two scoreless innings of relief, and Jose Mesa finished Atlanta off in the ninth for his fourth save of the season.
The Phils took a 1-0 lead in the first when Scott Rolen singled home Jimmy Rollins. They could have had more. But with Bobby Abreu on third, Mike Lieberthal popped out, and after Travis Lee walked to load the bases, Burrell struck out.
Atlanta squandered a chance to tie the game in its first at-bat. Daal allowed a one-out triple to Wes Helms but retired Andruw Jones and Brian Jordan.
In the opening game of the series, the Phillies committed three errors. Saturday night, they made up for it. After Rafael Furcal led off with a single in the third, Doug Glanville's leaping catch at the wall robbed Helms of at least extra bases and possibly his second home run in as many nights. Anderson, who committed two errors Friday night, made a nice diving "catch" of a soft liner by Andruw Jones. Anderson actually dropped it when he hit the ground and threw to second for the force, but it was ruled a catch.
Atlanta, however, tied it an inning later when B.J. Surhoff's double to the gap in left-center drove in Jordan. Surhoff made it to third when Anderson booted Keith Lockhart's one-hopper which was generously ruled an infield single. Daal picked up his second baseman by striking out Millwood and getting Furcal on a groundout.
The Braves threatened again in the fifth when, with one out, Andruw Jones walked and Chipper Jones reached on an infield single. Daal looked to be out of it when Jordan lined a potential inning-ending double play to Rolen, but the ball glanced off his glove for his second error of the game, and the bases were loaded. However, Daal picked up Rolen by getting to Lopez ground into a 4-6-3 twin-killing.
"They made great defensive plays. Millwood pitched a good game and we got beat," said Braves manager Bobby Cox.
Andy Schwartz
ComcastSportsNet.com
|
||
|