For 6 innings, the Phillies’ Adam Eaton and Detroit’s Justin Verlander engaged in a classic pitching duel with the Phils holding a 3-1 lead.  Eaton looked on his way to duplicating Jamie Moyer’s performance on Saturday.

But in the 7th, the Tigers pounded Eaton and a parade of 3 other Phillies relievers for 5 runs on 7 hits to win two of the three games in Philadephia, winning the series final by a 7-4 score.

Fortunately, the Phils lost no ground in the NL East as the Mets were pounded 8-2 by the Yankees as both Met pitching and the Carlos and Carlos duo continue to struggle. And Cleveland salvaged a game from their series with Atlanta upending the Braves by a 5-2 score.

Any notions that Verlander had of a 2nd no-hitter were quickly disabused in the Phillies 2nd inning by 3rd baseman Abraham Nunez’s RBI single to center following a walk and a hit batsman to tie the game at 1-1. Then with two out, Adam Eaton tried to help his own cause with a single past 3rd base loading the bases.  But Verlander fanned shortstop Jimmy Rollins to end the threat.

The Tigers had scored first to open the game as rightfielder Magglio Ordonez singled to centerfield to drive in centerfielder Curtis Granderson who led off with a single and stole 2nd base. Ordonez would drive in 3 runs for the game.

The Phils added single runs in the 3rd and 6th innings to take a 3-1 lead into the 7th.  Centerfielder Aaron Rowand doubled to right centerfield driving in the 2nd run and Eaton singled to leftfield driving in the 3rd run.

However, in the Tigers’ 7th, everything fell apart.   AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston describes the scene for Yahoo sports;

Eaton… seemed poised to beat the Tigers with his arm and bat. Eaton gave up a run in the first, then settled down and was effective over the next five innings.

Then everything went wrong for the Phillies.

Brandon Inge doubled and pinch-hitter Carlos Guillen singled off Eaton with one out in the seventh. Eaton was pulled for  Geary, who gave up the run-scoring single to Sheffield.

“If the ball was down a little bit, it might have been a groundball double play,” Geary said. “I was trying to minimize the damage as much as possible.”

Instead, he gave up the hit that put some steam in the rally.

Geary was out and Mike Zagurski was in. He retired pinch-hitter Omar Infante on a grounder that advanced the runners to second and third.

Exit Zagurski, enter Yoel Hernandez. That made it four different pitchers for four straight batters.

He walked Placido Polanco to load the bases, then Craig Monroe knocked a full-count pitch off Nunez’s glove for a two-RBI single. Ordonez lined a pitch to right for his major-league best 33rd double and a 6-3 lead.

The Tigers used three pinch-hitters in the seventh, including Gary Sheffield, who hit for Verlander and knocked in a run off Geoff Geary (1-2) that cut it to 3-2.

The Tigers added to their lead with another run in the 8th on Guillen’s RBI single to centerfield.  The Phillies scored their final run in the 8th as Nunez led off with a single, went to 2nd on a ground out.  After pinch hitter Pat Burrell struck out, shortstop Jimmy Rollins was safe at 1st on a fielding error scoring Nunez.  Rollins then stole 2nd and rightfielder Shane Victorino walked.  But 2nd baseman Chase Utley, who went 3 for 5 for the game, grounded out to 3rd base to end the inning.

Cleveland’s closer Todd Jones then shut the door on the Phillies in the 9th for his 17th save.

Verlander, who gave up 3 runs on 7 hits while walking 2 and striking out 6 was the winner, having been the pitcher of record in 7th inning when the winning runs were scored.  Eaton didn’t figure in the final decision and reliever Geoff Geary was charged with the loss.

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

The Phillies next head for Cleveland for 3 games with the hot-hitting Indians beginning on Monday.   Cole Hamels goes for his 10th win vs Cliff Lee in another battle of lefties.

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

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This entry was posted on Monday, June 18th, 2007 at 6:42 am and is filed under Real-Time Baseball News and Commentary, Phillies and NL East, Analysis, Predictions, etc. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.