Perez hits double, homer for Phillies win

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Tomas Perez was happy to be on the receiving

end of two Philadelphia Phillies rituals for once.

Perez tied the game with an RBI double in the eighth inning and

won it with a homer in the 10th, leading the Philadelphia Phillies

over the short-handed Atlanta Braves 3-2 on Friday night.

Perez, starting in place of injured slugger Jim Thome, sent a

2-1 sinker off Antonio Alfonseca (5-1) into the seats in

right-center for his fourth homer of the season.

Upon reaching the plate, Perez was first mobbed by teammates,

then received a shaving-cream facial during a post-game interview.

"Today, I have to enjoy this, because it doesn't happen a lot

of times to me," Perez said. "But anytime you come to the

stadium, you have to be ready to play."

It was a fitting ending for Perez, who tended to manager Larry

Bowa's daughter, Victoria, when she was involved in a car accident

before Thursday's game, then delivered the news to the manager.

"That home run I give to my wife, my family and Bowa's

daughter," Perez said.

Perez wasn't the only Phillie to produce in another's absence.

Tim Worrell (1-1), the Phillies' closer since Billy Wagner was

injured earlier this month, pitched two scoreless innings in relief

for the victory.

Chase Utley, starting for injured second baseman Placido

Polanco, singled off Chris Reitsma with one out in the eighth to

extend his hitting streak to 11 games. Perez followed with a double

down the right-field line, scoring Utley and tying the game at 2.

"They know what their role is and they work hard," Bowa said

of his reserves. "To see them get rewarded is nice."

Philadelphia's Randy Wolf, who missed his last start because of

elbow tendinitis, allowed six hits and one earned run, walked two

and struck out four in six innings.

Bowa said Wolf felt fine after leaving the game.

"Tomorrow we'll have a better idea," Bowa cautioned.

Dewayne Wise homered for Atlanta, which lost three players to

injuries. The Braves scratched first baseman Julio Franco minutes

before the game due to back problems, then lost outfielder Chipper

Jones and Franco's replacement, Adam LaRoche.

"The hits just keep on coming," Jones said. "We can't seem to

get on a roll."

Jones was hit above the left knee with a pitch and didn't return

to the field in the bottom of first. LaRoche was injured an inning

later in a collision with Phillies catcher Mike Lieberthal. He was

later taken to the hospital for X-rays that revealed a separated

left shoulder.

"I don't think LaRoche can play for a while," Braves manager

Bobby Cox said.

LaRoche came to the plate in the second inning with no outs and

runners on first and second and hit a grounder to Perez.

Perez bobbled the ball as he attempted to start a double play,

then flipped to Wolf, who anticipated a throw to second and wasn't

looking. The ball rolled to the dugout, allowing Johnny Estrada to

score the first run of the game.

Wise, who replaced Jones, hit his second homer to right field on

a 1-0 pitch in the third inning to make it 2-0.

Braves starter Mike Hampton went 6 2-3 innings, allowing seven

hits and one earned run. He walked three and struck out five. After

compiling a 7.41 ERA in his first seven starts, Hampton has allowed

only three runs in his last three outings.

"We're going to battle," said Hampton. "Hopefully, we can get

some guys healthy."

The Phillies had runners at second and third in both the fourth

and sixth innings, but Hampton got out of both jams, twice retiring

Utley to end the threats.

But when Philadelphia loaded the bases with two outs in the

seventh, Hampton was pulled in favor of Kevin Gryboski. He walked

Pat Burrell to force in a run, then got David Bell to fly out to

end the inning.

Gryboski's walk ended Hampton's scoreless streak at 14 innings.

Thome missed his sixth game in the last two weeks after

receiving treatment on his sore index finger earlier in the day.

The only action Thome saw Friday was putting on his batting

gloves in the 10th as a decoy pinch-hitter. His bat, however, got a

lengthy workout in Perez's hands.

Perez used Thome's bat -- one much larger than his own -- for the

seventh straight game.

"(Thome) came to me and said, 'That bat has a lot of pop in

it," said Perez. "He was right. The bat he uses is

unbelievable."

^Notes:@ Backup C Eddie Perez replaced LaRoche, marking the first

time since June 20, 1999, that Perez played first base. ... Braves

SS Rafael Furcal made a spectacular diving stop on a grounder by

Burrell to start an inning-ending double play in the first.