Phillies make it eight out of nine

PHILADELPHIA -- Pat Burrell hit a tiebreaking two-run homer, Adam Eaton pitched 6 2/3 impressive innings and the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Cincinnati Reds, 3-2, Tuesday night.

“We’re on a good roll now,” Burrell said after the NL East leaders won for the eighth time in nine games. “We want to keep it going.”

Ken Griffey Jr. walked as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning to remain one shy of 600 home runs. Griffey wasn’t in the Reds’ lineup for the second consecutive game because of general soreness. He has been bothered by a sore left knee, although he could return today.

Edwin Encarnacion hit a solo homer and tripled for two of Cincinnati’s five hits. Rookie sensation Jay Bruce had a single in three at-bats. Griffey represented the tying run when he came up with one out, but walked on four pitches and pitcher Bronson Arroyo ran for him. A sellout crowd gave Griffey a standing ovation and booed when reliever Tom Gordon didn’t throw a strike.

“We didn’t want him to hit one,” Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel said. “The tension was there. The excitement was there. You could tell. You could feel it. It’s good for the game. We definitely didn’t want him to tie the game up.”