Phillies Finish Sweep of Marlins

"This game can bring you to your knees real quick," Phillies manager Larry Bowa said. "Don`t get me wrong. I love 3-0. It`s a lot better than 0-3. Maybe they`re taking us lightly. Everybody picked us for dead last."

The Phillies haven`t started a season with four wins since 1915, when they went 8-0 on their way to their first World Series appearance.

"I`ve never had a start like this or even close to this," third baseman Scott Rolen said of the Phillies` start.

Rheal Cormier (1-0) pitched one inning and allowed three hits and the go-ahead run, but picked up the win.

"I could`ve been the goat," Cormier said. "Instead, I`m the hero."

With Philadelphia trailing 3-2 heading into the eighth, Marlins reliever Dan Miceli (0-1) walked three batters sandwiched around an infield single by Pat Burrell.

After one of two wild pitches thrown by Miceli scored Rolen to tie it, the go-ahead run came in on pinch-hitter David Newhan`s sacrifice fly.

Doug Glanville`s soft liner to left was misplayed by Cliff Floyd to score two more.

"(Miceli) had a tough time locating his pitches," Marlins catcher Charles Johnson said. "It was a pretty crazy inning, but they took advantage of it. They capitalized on it and didn`t give in."

Derrek Lee and Preston Wilson hit solo home runs to give the Marlins a 2-1 lead after six.

Marlins starter Brad Penny couldn`t hold the one-run lead in the seventh as he allowed three consecutive two-out singles, including Jimmy Rollins` RBI up the middle. Kevin Jordan, who scored on Rollins` hit, started the rally with a pinch-hit single.

"These guys keep scratching and that`s a tribute to them," Bowa said.

Tied at 2 in the bottom of the seventh, Alex Gonzalez, Luis Castillo and Eric Owens all singled off Cormier. Cliff Floyd`s RBI groundout made it 3-2.

"This series didn`t go the way we hoped or planned," Marlins manager John Boles said. "That doesn`t change the way I feel about this club. We`re a lot better than we showed, but we got 149 left. We`ll get it straightened out."

Tied at 1 in the sixth, Wilson, who hit 31 homers last year, hit a 3-2 pitch 448 feet away over the scoreboard in left-center.

Penny, a 22-year-old right-hander who was 2-0 with a 2.35 ERA against the Phillies during his rookie season last year, allowed two runs on eight hits while striking out five and walking one.

"If that`s as good as he can be, then that`s plenty good enough," Boles said of Penny. "He was terrific."

Rolen hit a bloop double to right and scored on Burrell`s double off the right-center field wall to tie it 1-1 in the fourth. Burrell`s hit snapped an 0-for-9 start.

Lee, who had been 0-for-6, hit a 437-foot home run off the upper-deck facade to give Florida a 1-0 lead in the second.

Abreu homered in the ninth to make it 7-3.

Phillies starter Bruce Chen pitched 5 1-3 innings, allowing the two homers and seven hits with five strikeouts.

Notes:
For the first time in the history of Veterans Stadium, the Phillies will play three straight day games (April 6-8) to open the home schedule. The Phils have opened on the road at different ballparks for nine straight seasons. ... The Marlins suffered their first-ever season-opening three-game losing sweep. ... The Marlins have struck out 24 times in the first two games, including Charles Johnson`s six in his first 10 at-bats. ... Johnson got his first hit since rejoining the Marlins on Wednesday, a soft single in the fourth. ... The Marlins voided the option of infielder Nate Rolison and placed him on the disabled list, retroactive to March 23, with a right wrist injury.

(Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Author: 6 ABC - Action News (AP)