Jordan Slams Phils Past Braves

With the 16,245 strong at the Vet whipped into a frenzy, calling his name and trying to get Friday night's star to come out and take his bows, Phils utility player Kevin Jordan just assumed to put his helmet back on the rack and take a seat at the same spot in the dugout where he had been all night.

This is even after ripping a two-out, seventh inning grand slam to lead the Phils to an 8-3 win over the Atlanta Braves.

"I wouldn't know what to do," said Jordan, who doesn't even remember hitting a grand slam in Little League. "I've never gone out there before. I didn't want to embarrass myself."

	Kevin Jordan has hit six career pinch-hit homers, but none were as big as the one hit Friday night.

With the way he tore around the bases, one would have to believe that Jordan was in unprecedented territory. Head down and nary a fist-pump, the placid Jordan put the finishing touches on a comeback that extended their first-place lead to two whole games over both the Montreal Expos and the Braves.

"That was the fastest home run trot I've ever seen in my life," Phillies manager Larry Bowa said of Jordan's "trot."

For as much ink as the Phils bullpen has received this season for its league-leading 2.10 ERA, the team's bench has been just as good. In 15 games, the pinch-hitters are 11-for-24 (.458) with nine RBIs. For a team that has trailed in 14-of-15 games this season, those late inning hits are the biggest reason why the Phillies are in first place.

For Jordan, it all comes down to being prepared. He comes to the ballpark everyday expecting to be in the starting lineup. More often than not, he comes off the bench and tries to give the team a lift anyway he can.

"He's always ready," Bowa said. "He can be 0-for-20 and he's out there working harder than anyone. He takes extra grounders, extra hitting. He's as prepared as anybody."

At 4-for-7 coming off the bench, Jordan has been ready ever chance he's received. But all the credit, according to Jordan, should go to the manager.

"He stays on top of us, keeping us in the came," Jordan said. "He makes it come down to nine innings, 27 outs for every game. Since Bowa has been here, he's stressed that we believe in ourselves and our abilities. That's been a big difference."

Meanwhile, Jordan's blast couldn't have come at a more opportune time. Not only was it the first homer the Phils have hit with runners on base all season, it gives the team a much-needed big inning before facing Greg Maddux Saturday night. Runs will definitely be at a premium then.

But the Phillies are non-plussed about facing the four-time Cy Young Award winner Saturday, even though he hasn't allowed an earned run or a walk all year. The Phils pitchers feel no extra pressure no matter whom they face.

"I don't feel any pressure," Friday night's starter Omar Daal said. "I know we're going to score. I just have to keep the game close."

Daal did keep the Phillies close, albeit behind. The southpaw left one out over the plate, thigh-high for Andruw Jones to deposit in the leftfield bullpen in the first to make it 1-0. In the sixth, Daal gave Jones a lead-off walk and he came around to score when Chipper Jones followed with an RBI double to make it 2-0. But then the runs came.

The Phils got on the board in the sixth when Bobby Abreu led-off with a double, moved to third on a single by Travis Lee and came around to score on a single to right by Pat Burrell. Lee scored to tie it a 2 on a flukey, jam-job, pop single by pinch-hitter Rob Ducey that third baseman Chipper Jones misjudged.

"It hit right above my hands," Ducey said. "I had to send the batboy out there to pick up my knuckles."

The two runs chased Braves starter Kevin Millwood after the sixth and the team greeted reliever Odalis Perez rudely. But, they had a bit of luck on their side as well.

Mike Lieberthal's bad-hop single caught the piece of turf on the second base cutout and then bounced off shortstop Rafael Furcal's chest to score Jimmy Rollins and gave the Phillies a 3-2 lead.

After Pat Burrell's fielder's choice –- on a ball that took a tough bounce on Quilvio Veras –- scored Bobby Abreu to make it 4-2, Marlon Anderson was intentionally walked to load the bases. Jordan –- batting for winning pitcher Wayne Gomes (2-0, 0.82) –- then drilled a 1-0 pitch off Marc Valdes into the left-field bullpen.

That was curtains.

"We had a good chance to get two double plays and didn't get either," Perez said. "It's all part of the game."

Braves manager Bobby Cox thought his club was going to dodge a bullet. After all, his club has only allowed one earned run in its last eight games and his starters have a 1.15 ERA over the last nine games.

"They made good pitches that could have gotten us out of the inning," Cox said about the seventh. "One ball hit the seam and the other took a crazy hop."

For awhile, however, it looked like it was going to be one of those nights for the Phils. Millwood escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the third by striking out Abreu and getting Lieberthal to hit into a fielder's choice. Save for the third and the sixth, he only allowed two base runners and struck out two.

But Daal was equally as good after giving up the homer to Andruw Jones. He gave up five hits in six innings, struck out five and walked two. Gomes relieved him and pitched the seventh before letting Ricky Bottalico pitch the last two innings.

Notes: Philadelphia's bullpen, which had a league-worst 37 losses and 5.72 ERA last season, is 7-1 with a 2.10 ERA. ... Jordan's slam is the team's first pinch-hit grand slam since Jim Eisenreich hit one against the Padres on Aug. 23, 1995. ... The Phillies have scored just three runs in the first five innings of the last seven games. ... At 9-6, the Phillies are not only in first place in the NL East, they are the only team with a winning record.

John R. Finger
ComcastSportsNet.com