Burrell's two-run shot lifts Phillies

Jun/03/08 11:47 PM Filed in: Pat Burrell
PatBurrell
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ken Griffey Jr. didn't get anything to hit his only time up. Pat Burrell didn't miss the tasty, hanging slider he saw.
Burrell hit a tiebreaking two-run homer, Adam Eaton pitched 6 2-3 impressive innings and the Philadelphia Phillies beat 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."

Griffey 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 straight game because of general soreness. He's been bothered by a sore left knee, though he could return Wednesday.

Edwin Encarnacion hit a solo homer and tripled for two of Cincinnati's five hits. Rookie sensation Jay Bruce had a checked-swing, infield single in three at-bats.

Junior 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."

Griffey hit No. 599 at home Saturday against Atlanta. The only players to reach 600 are Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Sammy Sosa.

The Reds lost center fielder Ryan Freel to a strained right hamstring in the sixth. Freel crumbled to the ground after taking several steps out of the batter's box following a grounder to shortstop. Freel quickly hopped up and hobbled off the field on his own. He'll fly to Cincinnati on Wednesday for further evaluation.

"He said he heard something pop," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "That was just bad luck."

Eaton (2-3) allowed one run and three hits, outpitching Aaron Harang (2-8). Eaton has won consecutive starts after going winless in his first 10.

(ap.com)