Phillies, Person Get 1st Home Win

Robert Person thinks he swings the bat pretty well. He proved it Sunday.

Person allowed one run in seven innings and helped himself with a three-run double as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Chicago Cubs 3-1 Sunday.

"Person swings hard. He doesn`t get cheated," Phillies manager Larry Bowa said. "If you ask him, he`ll tell you he`s a good hitter. After today, I guess he thinks he`s real good."

Person (1-0) allowed four hits, struck out five and walked two. He became the first Phillies pitcher to last through the sixth inning this season and first starter to record a win.

Philadelphia avoided getting swept by the Cubs at Veterans Stadium for the second straight year. After sweeping a season-opening, three-game series against the Florida Marlins, the Phillies dropped the first two games to Chicago.

"It was very important to get the win, especially with the circumstances of the last couple days," said Ricky Bottalico, who pitched a perfect eighth.

Jon Lieber (0-1) allowed three runs and four hits in eight innings. He struck out six, walked two and hit one batter.

Lieber retired the first 14 hitters before Travis Lee lined a two-out single to left in the fifth. Pat Burrell followed with a single and David Newhan walked to load the bases.

Person, a .120 career hitter before the at-bat, then drilled a bases-clearing double to the gap in left-center, giving the Phillies a 3-1 lead.

"I`m really disappointed in myself," Lieber said. "There`s two outs, nobody on, you`re out to kill the inning right there. You`ve got to make better pitches than that."

Person had just three RBIs in 125 career at-bats before the hit.

"I`ll probably walk around the clubhouse with a bat tomorrow," Person said. "It`s fun. It`s gravy. People don`t understand I take hitting seriously. When I take batting practice, I try to work on certain things."

Jose Mesa pitched the ninth to record his second save in three opportunities. He allowed a two-out single to Ricky Gutierrez, but struck out Roosevelt Brown to end the game.

"Person threw great and Bottalico and Mesa were good, too," Bowa said. "It was real nice to get the win. You don`t want to get swept."

Bill Mueller gave Chicago a 1-0 lead with his second homer in the first -- a liner off the foul pole in right.

Person walked Matt Stairs after the homer, but retired 14 of the next 16 batters.

Phillies manager Larry Bowa made 22 pitching changes in the first five games, but kept Person in for seven innings and 104 pitches.

"It seems we might not be allowed to give up four runs, that we`re getting a quick hook, but that`s understandable," Person said. "Our bullpen has pitched effectively."

Chicago had won three straight after losing two in a row to open the season. The Cubs` victory Saturday put them over .500 for the first time since opening day 2000.

"We didn`t do a whole lot on offense," Cubs manager Don Baylor said. "You hate to waste a good pitching performance like that."

Notes:
Cubs 2B Eric Young was ejected in the eighth after yelling at home plate umpire Eric Cooper following a groundout to first. Young was upset Cooper called a strike on a pitch that he ducked away from. ... Burrell was dropped from fifth to seventh in the batting order after striking out 13 times in his first 20 at-bats. He was 1-for-3 with two more strikeouts Sunday. ... Lieber, who led the majors with 251 innings last season, has gone 15 innings in his first two starts. ... Mueller, who hit a homer right-handed Saturday, is Chicago`s first switch-hitting everyday player since OF Brian McRae.

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

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Author: 6 ABC - Action News (AP)