Burrell Lifts Phils to Victory
Entering yesterday’s game it was pretty simple. Win, and ensure a first-place spot as the All-Star break gets underway. Lose, and leave things up to the red-hot Mets and Marlins. The Phillies sent Cole Hamels to the mound to face-off against Diamondbacks’ ace, Brandon Webb. While, he wasn’t dominant, Cole Hamels was able to pitch out of a couple jams and the Phillies offense was able to scrape together two runs off Webb.
After tying the game at 2-2 in the seventh, the Phillies sent their “big guns” to the plate to start the eighth. Chase Utley and Ryan Howard each hit singles to start the frame. That set the stage for Pat Burrell, who hit a 2-2 slider from Chad Qualls into the left-field seats for his 23rd homer of the year, and a 5-2 Phillies lead. Pedro Feliz added an insurance run later in the inning with his 12th homer of the year.
You’ve got to hand it to Burrell. He has been clutch for the Phillies all season, providing big hits when they need them the most. Luckily for the Phillies, he hadn’t been taken out of the game for a defensive replacement, because the outcome may have been different. I wouldn’t have a problem with bringing in a defensive sub for Burrell from time-to-time if the player entering the game was a better defensive player than Burrell himself. But, with the frequency that Manuel removes Burrell from games — and at times as early as the seventh inning — you know that it’s going to come back to haunt him sooner or later. For now, let’s just be glad that Burrell was in the game when it mattered most.
