Phillies Win in a Breeze Against Cubs

L.A. Times Archives

June 20, 1998 12 AM PT

<i> From Associated Press</i>

With the Chicago Cubs sending homers flying out of Wrigley Field once again, the Philadelphia Phillies resorted to some old-fashioned hustle Friday at Chicago to win the game.

“The winds were blowing out in a gale,” Phillies Manager Terry Francona said after Mike Lieberthal’s 12th-inning sacrifice fly gave his team a 9-8 victory over the homer-happy Cubs.

“There is something to be said for perseverance. It looked like a game they could win and somehow we found a way.”

With one out in the 12th, Scott Rolen reached on shortstop Jose Hernandez’s third error of the game. When Rico Brogna singled to right, Rolen challenged Sammy Sosa’s strong arm and raced safely to third, running through third base coach John Vukovich’s stop sign to do so.

Rod Beck then replaced Terry Mulholland (2-2) and Lieberthal hit a fly to center to score Rolen with what turned out to be the winning run.

“I wasn’t going to do us a lot of good at second. When I decide to go, I’m gone,” Rolen said.

Sosa couldn’t cut down Rolen at third.

Sosa hit two more homers Friday, giving him 27 for the season, 18 in his last 20 games and 14 in June, matching Ryne Sandberg’s club record from 1990. He is tied with Ken Griffey Jr. for second in the majors behind Mark McGwire.

St. Louis 5, Arizona 0--Brian Jordan had three hits, including a home run and three RBIs, and Mark Petkovsek pitched seven shutout innings at St. Louis.

Petkovsek (5-3) gave up only four hits in extending his shutout streak over the Diamondbacks to 12 innings. He pitched five scoreless innings before leaving because of a leg cramp in the Cardinals’ 2-0 victory in Arizona on Sunday.

Montreal 14, Atlanta 1--Chris Widger homered twice and drove in four runs as the Expos defeated nine-game winner Kevin Millwood at Montreal.

Widger and Shane Andrews hit consecutive homers off Millwood (9-3) to start a six-run outburst in the second inning. Andrews added a two-run double in the eighth for the Expos, who tied a season-high with 15 hits.

Florida 3, New York 2--Rick Reed took a perfect game into the seventh inning for the second consecutive start at home before the Marlins got four hits in a row and rallied at New York.

Reed (8-4) retired the first 19 batters before Edgar Renteria hit a clean single with one out in the seventh to end Reed’s bid for a no-hitter.

Reed gave up six hits, struck out eight and walked none in 8 2/3 innings, and John Franco got one out to break the Mets record for career appearances with 402.

Milwaukee 2, Pittsburgh 1--Steve Woodard pitched 7 2/3 strong inning at Milwaukee to get his first home victory in 10 starts this season.

Woodard (4-5) gave up one run and five hits to win at County Stadium, where he was 0-4 this season. He also had lost his last four decisions overall.

Houston 4, Cincinnati 2--Carl Everett homered and drove in two runs, and Sean Bergman survived a shaky start at Houston as the Astros handed the Reds their sixth loss in a row.

Everett hit his seventh homer in the second inning, and doubled home a run in the fourth when the Astros got three doubles to take a 4-2 lead.

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Rip City

Sammy Sosa hit his 14th home run of the month, tying a Cub record and moving to within one of Pedro Guerrero’s National League record for home runs in June. Rudy York of Detroit set the major league mark for home runs in a month when he hit 18 in August 1937. Willie Mays set the NL record with 17 for San Francisco in 1965.

A look at NL home run record holders by month:

APRIL 11

Willie Stargell, Pittsburgh / 1971

Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia / 1971

Barry Bonds, San Francisco / 1996

Gary Sheffield, Florida / 1996

Larry Walker, Colorado / 1997

MAY 17

Mark McGwire, St. Louis / 1998

JUNE 15

Pedro Guerrero, Dodgers / 1985

JULY 15