Phillies Beat Padres In Extra Innings
The Philadelphia Phillies ended their season-high seven-game losing streak in a rather improbable way -- scoring off the San Diego Padres' Trevor Hoffman in the 11th inning.
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"It isn't easy against Hoffman," said manger Terry Francona, whose team was knocked two games under .500 after losing the first games in the series. "We stopped the bleeding a little bit."
Scott Rolen led off the 11th by doubling to left on an 0-2 pitch from Hoffman. Brogna initially attempted to bunt but fell behind 0-2, then singled to right. Rolen slid in ahead of Ruben Rivera's throw.
"It wasn't an easy at-bat at all," Brogna said. "It was a matter of survival. He's got a real deceptive changeup, then you have to be ready for a 90-mph fastball."
Brogna bunted foul, then swung away and fouled off another pitch. He then hit an inside fastball.
"Rico looked like he was toast," catcher Mark Parent said. "He (Hoffman) happened to throw a pitch where he was swinging, and no one on the team runs the bases like Scott Rolen."
Hoffman (3-1) pitched a perfect 10th before faltering in the 11th. The right-hander hadn't lost since July 11 of last season at Colorado.
Hoffman said the key was the double by Rolen.
"We battled all day long and it came down to a changeup," Hoffman said. "That leadoff double changed the complexion of the game. ... We lost the game and I'm the reason why."
In his last three home appearances, Hoffman has a blown save, a save and a loss. His record-trying streak of 41 straight saves ended July 26 when Houston's Moises Alou hit a first-pitch homer in the ninth. The Padres ended up winning 5-4 in 10 innings.
Mark Leiter (6-2) allowed a leadoff single to Chris Gomez in the 10th and walked Quilvio Veras on four straight pitches with one out. But he got Steve Finley, who earlier hit a two-run homer, to fly out to left, and struck out Ken Caminiti.
"To get that one run off Trevor was huge," Leiter said. "That game could have gone on forever."
Finley, the Padres' center fielder, misplayed Bobby Abreu's fly ball into a leadoff triple in the second, and Abreu gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead on Mark Lewis' high hopper, which bounced off Hamilton's back to Gomez at shortstop.
Finley hit a two-run homer off Mark Portugal, his ninth, to give the Padres a 2-1 lead with two out in the third. Quilvio Veras singled ahead of Finley, who hadn't homered since July 17 at Cincinnati.
The Phillies tied it at 2-2 with three straight singles opening the fourth, including Lewis' chopper up the middle that scored Brogna from second.
San Diego right-hander Joey Hamilton returned to action after missing his scheduled start Monday at Montreal to be with his expectant wife, Angie. The couple's first child, Johns Joseph Hamilton IV, was born Tuesday evening.
Hamilton allowed two runs and seven hits in seven innings, struck out six and walked two.
Portugal, who threw 37 fewer pitches than Hamilton in the same number of innings, allowed two runs and seven hits, struck out two and walked none.
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