Jul 26, 2008 8:00 pm US/Eastern
Phillies Rally To Beat Braves, 10-9
PHILADELPHIA (AP) ―
Pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs delivered a three-run homer in a
seven-run fifth inning and the Philadelphia Phillies rallied past the Atlanta
Braves 10-9 Saturday to spoil Mike Hampton's return to the major leagues.
Making his first
appearance since Aug. 19, 2005, Hampton
couldn't protect a 9-3 lead. The two-time All-Star overcame two major
operations on his left elbow and an assortment of other injuries to finally
make it back.
Chris Coste was 3-for-4
with three RBIs, helping the struggling Phillies get their first win since
falling out of first place in the NL East after a 53-day stay atop the
standings.
Mark Teixeira hit a
three-run homer during Atlanta's
nine-run fourth inning, but the Braves lost their 25th straight one-run game on
the road.
Adam Eaton (4-8)
pitched a scoreless inning to get the win in his third career relief
appearance. Ryan Madson, Chad Durbin and J.C. Romero each
pitched a scoreless inning, and Brad Lidge finished for his 23rd save in 23
chances.
Cole Hamels lasted just
3 2-3 innings, allowing nine runs -- four earned -- and six hits in his
shortest outing since last Sept. 18.
Hampton
gave up six runs and eight hits in four-plus innings.
The 35-year-old left-hander threw 91 pitches.
He left after Chase Utley's single loaded the bases with none out in the fifth.
Ryan Howard greeted
Royce Ring with a two-run single. Blaine Boyer (2-6) came in to face Pat
Burrell, who hit a sacrifice fly to cut it to 9-6. Coste's two-out RBI single
made it 9-7.
Dobbs followed with a
drive into the second deck in right field to give the Phillies a 10-9 lead. It
was his 20th pinch hit this season, tying Doc Miller's club record set in 1913.
Hamels had allowed one
run in two starts against Atlanta
this season, including a shutout on May 15. He had a 3-0 lead and seemed on his
way to another strong performance until the fourth.
Yunel Escobar walked to
start the inning, Teixeira singled and Brian McCann walked to load the bases.
Omar Infante doubled in two runs and Jeff Francoeur's sacrifice fly tied it at
3.
Then the defense fell
apart.Martin Prado reached on second baseman Utley's fielding errorand Mark
Kotsay singled in Infante for a 4-3 lead. Hampton
hit a bouncer near the mound that should've been an inning-ending double play.
But Hamels' throw to second base sailed into center field and Prado scored.
Gregor Blanco's infield
hit scored Kotsay. After Escobar flied out, Teixeira connected for his 20th
homer. His shot to left-center put the Braves up 9-3 and ended Hamels'
afternoon.
Hamels had pitched at
least seven innings in 18 of his 21 starts this season.
Coste lined a two-run
single to left-center to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead in the second. Utley's
sacrifice fly scored Shane Victorino, who tripled, to make it 3-0 in the third.
Hampton missed the 2006 season recovering
from elbow ligament replacement surgery and opened the 2007 season on the
disabled list with a left oblique injury. He then learned he had a torn flexor tendon
in his left elbow, leading to another season-ending surgery.
Hampton
earned a spot as the No. 4 starter this spring before straining his left
pectoral muscle while warming up before his scheduled April 3 start in Atlanta. He aggravated the
chest injury in the minor leagues before injuring his left groin.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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