PHILADELPHIA -- Brett Myers tossed seven effective
innings and Pat Burrell wrapped up a hot homestand with three
hits as the Philadelphia Phillies posted a 7-4 triumph over the
St. Louis Cardinals in the rubber game of their three-game
series.
Myers (4-2) allowed three runs and six hits, striking out nine
without a walk while throwing 81 of his 106 pitches for strikes.
It marked just the second time in nine starts Myers has
yielded more than two runs.
"I tried to stop overthrowing," said Myers, who gave up all
three runs in the first three innings before settling down. "I
just tried to make pitches and slow everything down, just go
right after them and get strike one."
"I think we have shown him that we have confidence in him,
myself and (pitching coach) Rich Dubee," Philadelphia manager
Charlie Manuel said. "I think it is big for him, but at the
same time, he is the guy that does the pitching. He is the guy
that stays focused and throws the ball."
The Phillies scored one run in every inning but the fifth en
route to concluding their seven-game homestand at 4-3. Burrell
led the charge, giving Philadelphia a 1-0 lead with an RBIs
single in the first and pushing the advantage to 5-3 in the
sixth with an run-scoring double off the center field wall.
"It was a good game all the way around," Burrell said. "We came
up with a couple more big hits than they did. But the whole
thing revolves around pitching, and Brett has been so good for
us this year.
"He made a couple of bad pitches (early) and these guys hit him.
We were able to get a couple runs early and keep him in the
game."
During the homestand, Burrell went 12-for-27 (.444) with a home
run and six RBIs.
Myers helped himself with an RBIs single in the second that gave
the Phillies a 2-1 edge. He also was at the plate with two outs
and the bases loaded in the third when Cardinals starter Jason
Marquis uncorked a wild pitch that scored Chase Utley to tie the
game, 3-3.
"They did not give (the swing sign) to me," Myers said of the
single, which came following a fake bunt attempt. "When you go
up there, they had the wheel play on. Guys are crashing in and
the second baseman is going to first and shortstop is going to
third. I figured the whole field is wide open right there. If
I just put the ball on the ground and put it in play, we have a
good chance of scoring a run or getting the guys over in scoring
position."
Utley put the Phillies ahead for good in the fourth with a
run-scoring infield single. With runners on second and third
and two outs, Utley hit a grounder between first and second and
outraced Marquis to the bag, allowing Jimmy Rollins to score.
Jose Offerman hit his first career homer as a pinch hitter in
the seventh inning and David Bell recorded his 1,000th career
hit, singling home Bobby Abreu in the eighth to cap the scoring.
Abreu, who walked three times, extended his hitting streak to
12 games with a single in the sixth and scored a run in his 11th
straight contest.
Marquis (5-3) lasted just four innings, allowing four runs and
seven hits. The righthander yielded a career-high six of the 10
walks issued by St. Louis pitchers.
"I just didn't have it today," Marquis said. "Mechanically,
nothing was right. It was really an uphill battle from pitch
one. You try to fight through it as best as you can and try to
minimize your damage and try to keep your team in the game."
"It was about as tough a game as he's pitched for us," St. Louis
manager Tony La Russa said. "He just really struggled. It was
really hard work, so it was time to get him out of there."
Jim Edmonds belted his seventh home run of the season in the
second to tie the game, 1-1. Albert Pujols gave St. Louis a
brief 3-2 lead with a two-run shot - his 11th - in the third.
"Our goal is to win the series," La Russa said. "We lost the
series, so you take your lumps and give credit to the team that
beat you."
The setback marked the fourth series loss of the season and
second to the Phillies by the Cardinals, who own the National
League's best record (25-15).