Tuesday, August 06, 2002

Phillies 7, Dodgers 5



The Associated Press

        PHILADELPHIA — Talking about a bruising victory. Giovanni Carrara hit Todd Pratt and Jimmy Rollins with pitches with the bases loaded as the Philadelphia Phillies scored three runs in the eighth inning Monday to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-5.

        “We got lucky,” Philadelphia manager Larry Bowa said. “We get two guys hurt, we're out of players and score two runs on two batters getting hit.”

        With Los Angeles leading 5-4 in the eighth, Paul Shuey (0-1) walked Placido Polanco, gave up a single to Bobby Abreu and a two-out RBI single to Travis Lee.

        Shuey walked Jason Michaels, loading the bases. Carrara relieved and hit Pratt on the left shoulder with his first pitch, forcing in Abreu with the go-ahead run. Two pitches later, Carrara hit Rollins in the right elbow with a pitch.

        “It hurt, but it felt great at the same time,” said Rollins, in a 3-for-26 slump. “I'd seen where one batter gets hit to force in the winning run but never two in a row.”

        Rollins sustained a bruised elbow. The injury was significant enough for Bowa to move Rollins to second base in the ninth inning and Tomas Perez to shortstop.

        “Jimmy couldn't make the long throw,” Bowa said.

        Rollins moved back to shortstop later in the inning, when the force play at second was available, and Perez went back to second base.

        Pratt had strained his left elbow in the seventh inning while catching a Mike Timlin pitch, an injury considered to be minor.

        It was a strange afternoon, one that included the second batter's interference call in the series against the Phillies.

        “I have seen stuff this year that I've never seen before,” Bowa said. “Two batter inference calls in the same series. (Crew chief umpire) Joe West and his crew seem to invent stuff out there.”

        Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said he had a simple reason for using Carrara instead of closer Eric Gagne (36 saves).

        “The bullpen has really been overworked,” Tracy said. “We wanted to get the ball to Gagne in the ninth inning and not before. We were one out away from him.”

        Timlin (3-3) allowed one hit in two innings, and Jose Mesa got three outs for his 32 save in 39 chances. With the bases loaded and two outs, Dave Roberts hit a game-ending flyout to shallow center.

        Los Angeles had taken a 5-4 lead in the seventh inning as Adrian Beltre and Mark Grudzielanek homered on consecutive pitches by Brandon Duckworth and Timlin. Beltre hit a two-run homer for the second straight day.

        The Dodgers wasted a strong effort from Hideo Nomo, who tied a season-high by striking out 10 in seven innings. After a shaky start, Nomo retired 14 of his final 15 batters, striking out eight.

        Nomo gave up five hits, four for extra-bases, in the first three innings, but didn't allow any after Abreu homered in the third.

        “After seven, he said he couldn't go any further and who could blame him?” Tracy said. “It was hot out there.”

        Duckworth, winless in six starts since July 1, struck out his first six batters before Mark Grudzielanek lined a single to left on the first pitch of the third inning.

        “Brandon is on his way,” Pratt said. “In his last three starts, he's really improved.”

        Philadelphia took a 2-0 lead in the first when Lee lined a two-out, two-run double high off the right-field wall, and Pratt added a solo homer in the second.

        Roberts had an RBI single in the third, but Abreu homered for a 4-1 lead in the bottom half.

        Los Angeles closed in the fifth on doubles by Eric Karros and Alex Cora.

        Notes: Kevin Brown, recovering from back surgery, threw a 70-pitch bullpen session Monday at Dodger Stadium, Dodgers spokesman John Olguin said. Brown is to again pitch for the Triple-A 51s of the Pacific Coast League on Friday night at the Edmonton Trappers and could pitch for the Dodgers next week. ... Duckworth's string of strikeouts to start the game matched Arizona's Randy Johnson on Monday at New York. They were two short of the major league record set by Houston's Jim Deshaies in 1986. ... Nomo shares the team lead for homers allowed (16) with Andy Ashby. ... Beltre is 15-for-41 with four homers, 15 RBIs in last 10 games. ... The Dodgers have 11 homers in last six games. ... Duckworth has surrendered a team-high 20 homers. ... Polanco was ruled out for batter's interference in the fifth by plate umpire Doug Eddings. Ricky Ledee had stolen second base on the play but was ordered back to first when Polanco had impeded C Paul Lo Duca's throwing motion.

       



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