Phillies Split Doubleheader

Salvaging a doubleheader split against Philadelphia didn`t make Montreal happy. The Expos were too concerned about Tony Armas. Bobby Abreu, right, and Jimmy Rollins score on Scott Rolen`s hit in the seventh inning of Sunday`s opener, a 7-5 Phillies win.

Armas (5-5) gave up two runs and four hits as Montreal beat the Phillies 7-3 Sunday, leaving after 6 2/3 innings when he was hit in the right wrist by a liner off the bat of Tomas Perez. Armas, who has won four straight decisions, was taken to a hospital for X-rays, which were negative. Armas is listed as day-to-day.

"It`s real sore, but there is no break or anything," Expos head trainer Ron McClain told the Montreal Gazette. "He took a hard hit so we wanted to take an X-ray."

Vladimir Guerrero hit a two-run homer for the Expos, who had 17 hits in the doubleheader, losing the opener 7-5.

"We`re swinging the bats better," Expos manager Felipe Alou said. "We were in all three games of this series because of our bats."

Montreal`s Milton Bradley stole home, coming in on the front end of a double steal with Geoff Blum in the fourth inning.

"You have to manufacture some runs," Lee Stevens said. "Stay aggressive on the bases and put pressure on the defense."

In the opener, Pat Burrell hit a two-run homer in the sixth off Britt Reames (2-7) as Philadelphia rallied from a 3-0 deficit.

Despite the split, the Phillies increased their NL East lead to 6½ games over Atlanta, matching a season high. Philadelphia went 8-4 on its longest homestand this season.

"We had a pretty good homestand, especially after losing the first two games," Phillies manager Larry Bowa said. "I`m very happy with the way we came back."

Paul Byrd (0-1), making his first major league start since injuring his right elbow last July 21, allowed seven runs and seven hits in six innings.

"I got a few pitches over the plate and they didn`t miss them," he said. "I wanted to give us a chance to win and I didn`t do that. I was very anxious out there."

Guerrero`s upper-deck shot to left increased Montreal`s lead to 6-2 in the fifth. It was the 58th homer to reach the second level in left field in Veterans Stadium and the first this season.

Montreal scored three runs in the fourth inning to take a 4-2 lead. Blum had a RBI single, Bradley came home on the double steal and Blum scored on a wild pitch.

Montreal scored in the second inning when Stevens` fly ball fell between third baseman Scott Rolen, shortstop Perez and left fielder Burrell for a double. Stevens scored on Randy Knorr`s sacrifice fly.

Perez hit a two-run single in the bottom half to put the Phillies up 2-1.

In the opener, pinch-hitter Rob Ducey homered in the fifth to cut the deficit to 3-1, before the Phillies added three runs in the sixth to take the lead.

Rolen doubled with one out and scored on Travis Lee`s double. Burrell, who had struck out in his previous two at-bats, hit a two-run homer off the foul screen in left field. It was Burrell`s fourth homer of the season.

Chris Brock (2-0) pitched one scoreless inning to pick up the win and Jose Mesa worked the ninth for his 14th save in 15 opportunities.

Notes:
The Phillies have won seven of their last eight series. ... Byrd, an All-Star in 1999, went 2-9 with a 6.51 ERA in 17 games last season before undergoing elbow surgery on Aug. 2. ... Montreal 3B Fernando Tatis returned to the lineup for the first time since May 11 after recovering from a torn right labrum. He went 2-for-8 in the doubleheader. ... Reames leads all NL rookies in games started (11) and strikeouts (40). ... Phillies pinch hitters have hit four home runs -- one solo, one two-run, one three-run and one grand slam. ... Montreal`s Guillermo Mota had his scoreless inning streak stopped at 16 in the first game. ... Curtis Pride made a fine running catch in left-center field to rob Bobby Abreu of an extra-base hit in the third inning of the second game.

(Copyright 2001 by the Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

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Author: 6 ABC - Action News