Eaton, Phillies Shut Out White Sox on 3 Solo Homers
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Phillies starter Adam Eaton pitched his finest game of the season, the bullpen was air-tight and 1st baseman Ryan Howard, shortstop Jimmy Rollins and leftfielder Pat Burrell each hit solo homers as the Phils bounced back from Sunday’s 17-5 debacle against Kansas City by shutting out the Chicago White Sox 3-0 score on a 5 hitter in the series opener.
Eaton, who pitched 7 innings walking 3 while striking out 5, gave up 4 hits and only had to fight through two jams. AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston recounts the White Sox 5th and 6th innings;
Eaton ran into his first jam in the fifth when he allowed back-to-back singles to open the inning. But he struck out Josh Fields, made a headfirst dive to snare Vazquez’s bunt and retired Rob Mackowiak on a grounder before walking off the field to a rousing ovation.
The pitcher escaped again in the sixth. With one out and the potential tying runs on base after consecutive walks, Jermaine Dye struck out swinging before Eaton worked his way back from a 3-0 count and got Jose Uribe to fly out.
Eaton pumped his fist at catcher Rod Barajas as they walked off the field.
The Phillies badly needed Eaton to give them a lift after the momentum from a three-game sweep at the NL East-leading New York Mets was wiped out when they lost two of three to the lowly Royals.
“I was trying to be aggressive in the strike zone and force those guys to put the ball into play early,” Eaton said.
White Sox starter Javier Vazquez, formerly with the Montreal Expos for 6 years, the Yankees for a year, and Arizona, pitched well but gave up 3 runs on 4 hits, 3 of them homers while walking one and striking out 4.
With two outs in the 2nd inning, Pat Burrell put the Phils on the board with his 8th homer of the season, a shot to leftfield. Similarly, with two outs in the 4th, Ryan Howard blast a shot, his 13th homer of the season, to the 2nd level of bleechers in rightfield for the Phillies’ 2nd run.
In the 6th, Jimmy Rollins followed Eaton’s strikeout with a shot to rightfield to complete the scoring. It was Rollins’ 11th homer of the season.
Gelston recounts the Phillies’ 7th inning and their attempt to add to the score;
Manuel pinch hit for Eaton against Ryan Bukvich with runners at the corners and one out in the seventh, but Wes Helms grounded into a double play on the first pitch.
Phils reliever Mike Zagurski pitched a perfect 8th inning, striking out one. And Antonio Alfonseca gave up a single and struck out 1 in the 9th inning while being credited with the save, his 5th of the season as former Phil Jim Thome waited on deck to pinch hit as the game ended.
For the scores, boxscores and recaps on this and all of Monday’s games, click here.
White Sox 3rd baseman Joe Crede faces back surgery for Lower back inflammation caused by fluid from around two herniated discs.
Freddy Garcia and the Phillies await the results of Monday’s MRI regarding his “strained” right shoulder.
On Tuesday, lefthander Cole Hamels again goes for his 9th win of the season opposing Jose Contreras for the White Sox.
For the scores, boxscores and recaps on this and all of Tuesday’s games, click here.
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