Another day, a different hero, same 4-2 score as the Phillies again nipped the Mets, this time in the regulation 9 on shortstop Jimmy Rollins’ 7th inning 2 out, 3 run rightfield shot.

Rollins, who boasted in the winter that the Phils, not the Mets are the team to beat in the NL East isn’t sure yet if he’s moved to top of the New York villains’ list.   Inquirer staff writer Todd Zolecki reports;

Jimmy Rollins isn’t sure New York can hate him enough to move into villain status, even after he hit a three-run home run in tonight’s 4-2 victory over the New York Mets at Shea Stadium. Rollins has been booed constantly at Shea since he called the Phillies the team to beat in the National League East.

“I think I smile too much,” Rollins said, naturally, with a smile. “Maybe if I was a mean guy I’d make for a good villain. But I enjoy playing the game. Eventually you get tired being mad at a happy guy.”

Someone mentioned that Chase Utley could help Rollins with a steely stare.

“That’s not me,” Rollins said. “If I had that look, yeah, I definitely think I’d make for a good villain. But it takes too much energy to keep that going.

Winning pitcher Adam Eaton gave a quality 6 inning performance and the bullpen was once again nearly flawless in shutting down the Mets in the final 3 innings. Mets starter Orlando Hernandez pitched 6 shutout innings, as the Mets held a 2-0 lead, giving up 3 hits while walking 4 and striking out 3.  But he labored and was replaced after tossing 99 pitches by Aaron Heilman for the 7th inning.

The Phillies then jumped on reliever Heilman in the 7th as centerfielder  Aaron Rowand led off with a walk followed by 3rd baseman Abraham Nunez’s single to centerfield.  Catcher Rod Barajas sacrificed the runners to 2nd and 3rd.  Then Pat Burrell, pinch hitting for Eaton struck out.  Rollins followed with his 3 run blast to rightfield to jump into the lead. 

AP Sports Writer Bill Konigsberg reports the background on Rollins’ homer for Yahoo sports;

“He was kind of choked up on the bat, and took a real short swing at the ball,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. “The ball really jumped off the bat. That’s what you call trying to back up what you say.”

Philadelphia has won the first two meetings in the three-game series, taking advantage of an opportunity to make up ground on the division-leading Mets.

“I don’t think it could have been a better situation,” Rollins said. “Against the New York Mets, with an opportunity for us to go ahead and get the win.”

The Phils added an insurance run in the 8th on Rowand’s RBI single to leftfield off of reliever Scott Schoeneweis who remains hobbled by a leg injury.   David Lennon reports on Schoeneweis’leg injury for Newsday;

Schoeneweis, 33, has been pitching with what he described as a severed tendon near the bottom of his left hamstring, a condition that he developed last season with the Blue Jays and aggravated during fielding practice midway through spring training.

The Mets scored first, getting on the board on centerfielder Carlos Beltran’s 4th inning leadoff homer to leftfield in his return to the lineup after being out for 3 games with a bruised right knee.  The Mets’ injury list is mounting as the other starting outfielders, Moises Alou and Shawn Green, are still out with injuries along with assorted others.

The Mets got their second run in the 6th inning as rightfielder Endy Chavez opened by singling to leftfield.  He then stole 2nd base and went to 3rd on Beltran’s ground out.  1st baseman Carlos Delgado drove Chavez in with a ground out to second base.  3rd baseman David Wright followed with a double to rightfield, but catcher Paul Lo Duca grounded out to third base to end the inning.

After Rollins’ homer gave the Phils a 3-2 lead in the 7th, the Mets threatened in their half of the 7th as Geoff Geary replaced Eaton.  Todd Zolecki reviews the inning;

                  

The bottom of the seventh started ominously. Geoff Geary botched a ball that rolled up the first-base line to allow  Ruben Gotay to reach on an error. David Newhan followed with a double to put runners on second and third with no outs.

Good-bye lead, right?

Pinch-hitter Julio Franco hit a ball up the first-base line, but  Ryan Howard dove to stop it. He got up and touched first for the first out. Gotay probably should have scored, but he froze instead.

Geary intentionally walked Jose Reyes to load the bases, and Endy Chavez hit a hard grounder up the middle. Rollins scooped it up, touched second, and threw to first for the inning-ending double play.

Geary turned in Rollins’ direction and roared with approval.

“Chase was over pretty far, so before that pitch I said pretty much anything hit at me, I’m going to have to run over and take it myself because it’s going to be a long run for Chase,” Rollins said. “Luckily, he hit the ball toward the bag, so there wasn’t any decision to be made.”

Rollins picked up two of the three biggest plays of the game in 15 minutes. (Shane Victorino threw out Carlos Delgado at the plate in the fourth to end the inning.)

Relivers Ryan Madson and Antonio Alfonseca were perfect with Alfonseca notching his 3rd save of the season, his 2nd in two games.  Mets reliever Aaron Heilman was charged with the loss.

For the scores, boxscores and recaps on this and all of Wednesday’s games, click here.

A Phillies sweep of the Mets in Shea Stadium has become a distinct possibility as Cole Hamels goes for his league-leading 9th win in another duel of lefties John Maine going for the Mets.

For the scores, boxscores and recaps on this and all of Thursday’s games,  click here.

In the meantime, it is reported that Brett Myers has tapped June 18th as a target date to return from a strained right shoulder, stating that he could return earlier if all goes well.  He also indicates that he needs one minor-league rehab appearance before returning to the bullpen. 

Todd Zolecki and Jim Salisbury report in Phillies Notes; 

The righthander also said he would not rejoin the rotation this season but would consider such a return after the season. He said he preferred the bullpen.

“I might overthink as a starter,” Myers said. “As a reliever, let ‘er rip.”

And the Mets hope to make a play for Chicago Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano if he lands on the trading block as he is due to be a free agent after the season.  The Cubs could potentially deal him prior to the July 31 deadline. But undoubtedly, the Mets won’t be the only club in the Zambrano sweepstakes.  Do the Phillies have a shot??  At any rate, Zambrano showcased himself for suitors over 6 2/3 innings on Wednesday as the Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers by a 6-2 score.

On Friday, the Phils open a 3 game series with the Kansas City Royals.   Freddy Garcia opposes Scott Elarton in the opener.  On Saturday, Jon Lieber faces Gil Meche.  On Sunday, Jamie Moyer opposes Jorge De La Rosa in a battle of lefties in the series final.

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 7th, 2007 at 7:09 am and is filed under Real-Time Baseball News and Commentary
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