Abreu's 3-Run Knock Big in
Phils Win
(Atlanta, GA) - The Phillies were hoping to
complete the three game sweep against the Atlanta Braves.
Gavin Floyd was in charge of the pitching duties in this,
the third game of the series. Opposing Floyd will be John
Thomson. Thomson will attempt to salvage a game out of
this series for the Braves.
Thomson's day, however, did not go as
planned. The Phillies got right on him in the first
inning. Chase Utley and Aaron Rowand got things started
with two consecutive singles. Then, Pat Burrell singled
with two outs to load the bases for Jimmy Rollins.
Rollins wasted no time as he hit a first pitch double
into the right field corner. Utley and Rowand scored
easily without a play to make it 2-0. Rollins would have
made it to third if it wasn't for Pat Burrell's slow
speed. That ended up costing the Phillies a run or two.
The Phillies continued their first inning
rally in the second. Gavin Floyd started out the second
with a single to help out his own cause. Then, Bobby
Abreu was sent out to bunt him over to second. Abreu laid
down a perfect bunt and him and Floyd were both safe. So,
Chase Utley took to the plate to try and score them. He
scored Floyd, but at the expense of himself. Utley hit a
ball passed Andruw Jones.
However, Jones' arm tested Chase at second.
Utley slid in awkwardly, but was safe. When Utley rose to
his feet he quickly fell back down holding his side. The
medical staff came out and helped him walk off of the
field. Bobby Jones was sent in to replace him. Jones was
excited to be playing in his first major league game at
second. However, at the same time he hoped that Utley was
alright.
Then, the Phillies broke the game open on
two singles by Rowand and Howard. At this point the
Phillies lead was 5-0. It was time now for Bobby Cox to
have a talk with Thomson and it settled him down. He
retired the final two batters to end the inning, but not
before giving up three runs. The Braves would try and get
those runs back in their half of the second. It looked as
though they would they were just picking on Floyd. The
balls were just flying off of their bats and into all of
the gaps. The Phillies luckily held them all to singles.
The Phillies looked as though they were
going to get out of the inning on a double play hit by
Todd Pratt. The first out was made easily then the throw
by Rollins to first went well over Howard's head to give
Pratt first and kept the inning alive. The Braves now had
the bases loaded for Brian Jordon. On the first pitch of
Jordon's at bat he singled to right to score Francoeur
from third. This was the Braves lone run of the inning.
They were unhappy with this, because they looked as
though they were just tearing up Floyd.
In the third the Braves made what may have
been one of the strangest moves ever. After Thomson
retired Lieberthal he was taken out of the game with
Floyd coming up to bat. Floyd is not a very good batter
and this move was very strange. Lance Cormier was brought
in to face Floyd and whatever Bobby Cox was thinking
proved to be wrong. Floyd got a hit off of Cormier to
bring up Abreu with two men on. Abreu on a 2-2 count hit
a monster three run homerun to center that put the
Phillies up 8-1. Floyd left the game after the fifth with
an 8-2 lead and it was left to the bullpen to close the
game out.
Leave it to Ryan Franklin to make this a
ball game again. In the seventh everything that could go
wrong for the Phillies did. The Braves managed to get
three runs and all of a sudden they were only three runs
back of the Phillies going into the eighth. However,
Arthur Rhodes and Tom Gordon closed this one out allowing
a combined one hit in the eighth and ninth to complete
the sweep of the Braves.
This sweep is great for the Phillies one
because it gets them to above .500 and two the Braves are
always a contender in the division. The Phillies will be
taking their very good confidence into the Mile High City
to take on the Rockies. The balls are usually flying out
of there, so that is good for this line up of power
hitters.
- Rich Ballezzi
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