Monday, April 9, 2001
Baseball
Section B·Page 5
Cubs can't stop Phillies pitcher
The Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA
PHILADELPHIA — Robert Person thinks he swings the bat pretty well. He proved it Sunday.
Person allowed one run in seven innings and helped himself with a three-run double as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Chicago Cubs, 3-1.
"Person swings hard," said Phillies manager Larry Bowa. "He doesn't get cheated. If you ask him, he'll tell you he's a good hitter. After today, I guess he thinks he's real good."
Person (1-0) allowed four hits, struck out five and walked two. He became the first Phillies pitcher to
last through the sixth inning this season and the first starter to record a win.
Philadelphia avoided getting swept by the Cubs at Veterans
Stadium for the second-straight year. After sweeping a season-opening, three-game series against the Florida Marlins, the Phillies dropped the first two games to Chicago.
"It was very important to get the win, especially with the circumstances of the last couple days," said Phillies pitcher Ricky Bottalico, who pitched a perfect eighth inning.
Cubs pitcher Jon Lieber (0-1) allowed three runs and four hits in eight innings. He struck out six, walked two and hit one batter.
Lieber retired the first 14 hitters before Travis Lee lined a two-out single to left field in the fifth. Pat Burrell followed with a single and David Newhan walked, loading the bases.
Person, a.120 career hitter before the at-bat, then drilled a basesclearing double to the gap in leftcenter, giving the Phillies a 3-1 lead.
"I'm really disappointed in myself," Lieber said. "There's two outs, nobody on, you're out to kill the inning right there." We've got
"People don't understand I take hitting seriously. When I take batting practice, I try to work on certain things."
Robert Person
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher
to make better pitches than that." Person had just three RBI in 125 career at-bats before the hit.
"I'll probably walk around the clubhouse with a bat tomorrow," Person said. "It's fun. It's gravy. People don't understand I take hitting seriously. When I take batting practice, I try to work on certain things."
Jose Mesa pitched the ninth and recorded his second save in three opportunities. He allowed a two-out single to Ricky Gutierrez but struck out Roosevelt Brown, ending the game.
"Person threw great and Bottalico and Mesa were good, too," Bowa said. "It was real nice to get the win. You don't want to get sweet."
Bill Mueller gave Chicago a 1-0 lead with his second homer in the first — a liner off the foul pole in right.
Person walked Matt Stairs after the homer but retired 14 of the next 16 batters.
Phillies manager Larry Bowa made 22 pitching changes in the first five games but kept Person in for seven innings and 104 pitches.
"It seems we might not be allowed to give up four runs, that we're getting a quick hook, but that's understandable," Person said. "Our bullpen has pitched effectively."
Chicago had won three straight after losing two in a row. The Cubs' victory Saturday put them above .500 for the first time since opening day 2000.
"We didn't do a whole lot on offense," said Cubs manager Don Baylor. "You hate to waste a good pitching performance like that."
Marlins hurler shines in victory
MIAMI — Matt Clement is making a good impression on his new team.
The Associated Press
Clement allowed four hits in eight innings.
for his first win with Florida, and the Marlins tied a club record with four home runs vester-
day in a 6-1 victory against the Atlanta Braves.
"That stuff he was featuring today was something else," said Florida manager John Boles. "It was like he was throwing a Wiffle Ball. This kid has got stuff. Nothing he throws is
straight."
Clement, obtained last month in a trade with San Diego, had eight strikeouts as the Marlins took two of three from the defending NL East champions.
"My ball has movement on it," said Clement, who had a nodecision in his first start. "I know I can harness it. I've been improving on it for three years. There's a fine line, being a young pitcher."
Cliff Floyd, Luis Castillo, Mike Redmond and Dave Berg gave Florida its first four-homer game since June 24 against the Cubs. In the nine years of the franchise, the Marlins have hit four home runs in a game 17 times.
"Matt deserves all the credit today," said Redmond, the
Marlins' catcher. "His ball was very lively. He's a challenge back there to catch."
Atlanta's Tom Glavine (0-1) allowed five runs, six hits and three homers in five innings.
"I thought Tommy was awfully good today." Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "He threw some good pitches. We just didn't hit for two straight days."
In the first, Floyd hit a 408-foot homer into the center field stands, giving him three homers on the season and at least one RBI in all six games.
The Marlins went up 2-0 in the third on Castillo's home run, just the fifth of his career.
"I don't think I pitched any where near what the (box score) line indicates," Glavine said. "But that's not what matters.
I've won other games when I didn't pitch well."
Berg, Castillo and Redmond combined for three home runs last year.
"It's unbelievable." Berg said. "Put odds on it in Vegas, and it's like one million to one."
Berg hit a solo homer in the sixth off Joe Slusarski.
Florida broke the game open with three runs in the fifth on Redmond's solo homer and a two-run double by Preston Wilson.
Floyd also made a big play in the field, throwing Javy Lopez out at third after making a diving back-handed stab on Rico Brogna's line-drive single.
Brian Jordan homered for Atlanta in the seventh.
Cold doesn't hurt White Sox; Pedro Martinez gets first win
The Associated Press
BOSTON — The Tampa Bay Devil Rays couldn't do anything to Pedro Martinez, and neither could the weather.
Fighting 42-degree temperatures and intermittent rain.
hitter and Tampa shortstop, lined a sharp single to center to lead off the sixth.
a 3-0 victory against Tampa Bay in his first win of the season.
"You just have to understand what's happening to your body," said Martinez (1-0), who recorded his first six outs on strikeouts and brought a no-hitter into the sixth. "It's different. But the cold weather is affecting the hitters, too."
"He's the best pitcher in baseball," said Felix Martinez, who also had a bunt single in the eighth. "The weather didn't help."
In his last start against Tampa Bay, on Aug. 29, Pedro Martinez came within three outs of a no-hitter and finished with a one-hitter. This time, he gave up three hits after holding the Devil Rays hitless until Felix Martinez, the No. 9
"He's from a warm-weather country and he's out there pitching in this weather. He doesn't figure that in," Boston manager Jimy Williams said. "He doesn't think that it's cold. It's just his day to pitch."
Martinez allowed three hits and three walks overall. He also recorded six of his last seven outs on strikeouts before Derek Lowe, who earned losses in his two previous outings, pitched the ninth for his first save.
Pedro Martinez, who's from the Dominican Republic, said his only adjustment was making sure he had warmed up enough before throwing the pitches that count. Sometimes when it's warm, he said, he throws only four warm-ups between innings; on Sunday, he would throw 10 or 12.
"He's the best pitcher in baseball.The weather didn't help."
Tampa Devil Rays shortstop
Felix Martinez
"It was nice to walk off the field for the right reason," Lowe said.
Manny Ramirez went 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBI, and Carl Everett doubled twice and drove in a run for Boston, which swept the three-game series.
Albie Lopez (1-1) allowed three runs, six hits, five walks and a balk in seven innings, striking out six. Tampa Bay has lost five straight since beating Toronto in the season opener.
Martinez, who has won the last two AL Cy Young Awards to go with one from the NL, did not earn a decision in his first start when Boston lost 2-1 in 11 innings.
It was the 43rd time Martinez has struck out at least 10 for Boston and the 70th time in his career.
MLB STANDINGS
AMERICAN LEAGUE
East Division W L Pct GB
Toronto 5 2 .714 —
Boston 4 2 .667 —
New York 4 2 .667 —
Baltimore 3 3 .500 1
Tampa Bay 1 5 .167 3
Central Division W L Pct. GB
Cleveland 3 2 .600 —
Detroit 3 2 .600 —
Minnesota 3 2 .600 —
Kansas City 2 4 .333 1
Chicago 1 4 .200 2
**West Division** W L Pct GB
Seattle 4 2 .667 —
Anaheim 3 3 .500 1
Texas 3 4 .429 1
Oakland 4 4 .333 2
NATIONAL LEAGUE
East Division W L Pct. GB
Montreal 5 1 .833 —
Philadelphia 4 2 .667 1
Atlanta 4 3 .429 2
Florida 2 4 .333 3
New York 2 4 .333 3
**Central Division** W L Pct. GB
Houston 4 2 667 -
Chicago 3 3 500 1
Pittsburgh 3 3 500 1
St. Louis 3 3 500 1
Milwaukee 3 4 429 1
Cincinnati 2 5 286 2
West Division W | W L | Pct | GB
*Los Angeles | 4 | 2 | .667
*San Francisco | 3 | 2 | .600
Colorado | 3 | 3 | .500
San Diego | 3 | 3 | .500
Arizona | 2 | 4 | .333
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