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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
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| Person |
HOUSTON (AP) – Robert Person came to a hitter's ballpark and
gave his best performance.
Person pitched a two-hitter, the low-hit game of his career,
leading the Philadelphia Phillies to over the Houston Astros 5-0
Monday night.
"Yeah, this was my best game," Person said. "I had one other
shutout, but you really have to keep the ball down and hit your
spots. They have a dangerous lineup."
Person (3-3), who lost three of his previous four starts, got
the second complete game of his career in stopping the Astros'
four-game winning streak. His other complete game was a four-hit
shutout of Milwaukee last May 10.
Houston's only hits were a first-inning double by Craig Biggio
and a seventh-inning single by Brad Ausmus. Person struck out a
season-high eight and walked four.
"That was an unbelievably pitched game," Phillies manager
Larry Bowa said. "The way he was pitching, I told him we needed to
give the bullpen a rest. For him to do what he did was something
special."
Before the game, the Phillies learned third-base coach John
Vukovich was scheduled to have surgery Tuesday morning to remove a
mass from his head.
"That was definitely for Vukovich," Person said. "Vuke is
such a key part of our team. Not having him here is so unusual."
Vukovich, 53, has been bothered by constant headaches since
spring training. He had an MRI at Thomas Jefferson University
Hospital in Philadelphia on Sunday and was admitted after test
results were examined Monday. Neurosurgeon Dr. David Andrews was
scheduled to operate.
"It was a special game for our players. They had their minds
elsewhere tonight," Bowa said. "He's going to be operated on
tomorrow and I'm proud of what the guys did."
Scott Rolen and Mike Lieberthal hit consecutive homers in the
fifth off Kent Bottenfield (1-2), making his first start since he
was sent to the bullpen on April 13.
Rolen's homer made it 4-0, and Lieberthal followed with an
opposite-field shot to right. It was the first time this season the
Phillies hit back-to-back homers.
Bottenfield allowed five runs and eight hits in five innings.
"I was trying to overthrow and that hurt me," Bottenfield
said. "I felt pretty good, but in the fifth I got tired and tried
to overthrow. I've got to hit my spots or I'm terrible."
Person hit Lance Berkman with a pitch in the first inning and
Bottenfield hit Rolen with a pitch starting the second. Both
dugouts received a warning from plate umpire Bill Miller.
Marlon Anderson's RBI single put Philadelphia ahead in the
second and James Rollins hit a sacrifice fly in the third.
"The guy did a good job of pitching," Berkman said. "He had
some good fortune, too. We hit some balls hard right at some people
and he made some mistakes that we didn't capitalize on.
"He moved his fastball around and he had good speed and good
location. When you have a combination of good stuff and good
location and it comes together, it's going to be tough to score on
him."
Game notes
Houston was shut out for the second time this season. ...
Philadelphia has a 16-0 record this season when leading after eight
innings. ... Charlie Hayes returned to the team after attending the
funeral of his mother, Lutherea Hayes, in Hattiesburg, Miss. on
Saturday. The Astros optioned INF Keith Ginter to Triple-A New
Orleans. ... Houston honored 2B Craig Biggio before the game as the
franchises' first 2,000-hit player. He is the 216th player in major
league history to reach 2,000 hits.
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RECAPS
Chi. White Sox 7
Texas 4
Philadelphia 5
Houston 0
Chicago Cubs 7
Milwaukee 6
St. Louis 7
Pittsburgh 0
NY Mets 10
Colorado 9
Cincinnati 5
Arizona 4
Los Angeles 1
Florida 0
San Francisco 6
Montreal 2
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