1. #1
    JBC77
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    Phils' Eaton is blasted by Braves, then fans

    By Joe Juliano
    Inquirer Staff Writer
    Fans voice displeasure with starting pitcher Adam Eaton as he was removed from the game after serving up six runs on eight hits.

    The Phillies' 19th sellout crowd of the season at Citizens Bank Park saved its loudest outburst last night for the fourth inning. Unfortunately, it was 44,948 throats in full boo mode, directed toward Adam Eaton.

    The Phillies' big off-season free-agent signing continued to define the word inefficient last night, going just three batters into the fourth before being lifted and putting his team in a hole that led to a 7-5 loss to the Atlanta Braves.

    Eaton (9-8) allowed six earned runs in three-plus innings and did not relinquish the dubious distinction of owning the highest ERA in the National League, leaving the game saddled with a 6.36 mark.

    For his part, Eaton cannot understand or explain what is going on. He said that the next start will be the one to turn his season around. But time is running out for him to do that, and so, too, for manager Charlie Manuel.

    Asked if Eaton's place in the rotation is in jeopardy, Manuel said, "It's something we have to talk about." But then he added, "Right now, he's in the rotation. . . . He has to be consistent and pitch better, that's all."

    Eaton said the thought of losing his spot "definitely goes through your head a little bit."

    "But at the same time, I'm a pretty good pitcher," he said. "Obviously, the majority of this season has been tough on me. But at any moment, a start here or a start there, I could get on a good roll and help this team win. And that's what I aim to do."

    He didn't do it last night. The Phillies faced early deficits of 4-0 and 6-1 and kept battling, but they never could fully recover.

    They lost a chance to move into a tie for the wild-card lead with the San Diego Padres, who lost to the Cincinnati Reds, 8-3, earlier in the day. Instead, they exchanged places with the Braves once again, dropping into third in the NL East although they remained three games behind the New York Mets, who also lost.

    Down by 1-0, Eaton saw the end drawing near when he allowed four consecutive two-out extra-base hits in the third, including Kelly Johnson's two-run home run and back-to-back triples by Chipper Jones and Mark Teixeira, that made it 4-0 Atlanta.

    After Jimmy Rollins homered to get the Phils on the board, Eaton gave the run right back when Jeff Francoeur parked his first pitch of the fourth into the seats in left-center.

    Back-to-back singles followed, and Eaton was done for the night, with a loud chorus of boos escorting him to the dugout.

    "He was hurting [after he was pulled] because he didn't do well. You could tell," Manuel said.

    The Phillies made a game of it in the fifth off starter Lance Cormier, who entered the game with a 15.58 ERA. Their first five hitters reached safely, with a two-run double by Tadahito Iguchi and Pat Burrell's run-scoring single making it a 6-4 game.

    Cormier left the game with the tying runs on, but they never got home. Lefthanded reliever Ron Mahay struck out Ryan Howard and Aaron Rowand, and got Greg Dobbs to hit a harmless grounder to first.

    Mahay got credit for the victory. After an exchange of single runs in the eighth, with Rowand slamming a home run for the Phillies, Bob Wickman worked the ninth for his 19th save, allowing a leadoff double to Chris Coste and nothing else.

    So the challenge for Eaton as he left the ballpark last night continued to be how he could pitch up to his own expectations, something that hasn't happened in too many of his 24 starts.

    "With this team, with the offense that we have, if I just pitch the way I'm capable of, we'd be in first place," he said.
    Attached Images  

  2. #2
    BatemanPatrickl
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    Going against the PHILS tonight!

  3. #3
    EJandV
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    Nice article and very cool pic , live action pic made me feel like I was at the game . My take is Eaton had bad luck yesterday . I always think over when he pitches and would never take him personally so that says something to me . For a baseball team to open up the door for the nice inning scoring has many luck factors / chance factors . Biggest factor always overlooked is Eaton giving up 3 runs in the 3rd and 2 runs in the 4th would have been no biggie if the Phils had a big inning themselves , like the 1st , 2nd 3rd , 4th inn , phils waited until the 5th to get 3 after that pic was taken . The Phil fans are hard and you know they are drinking beer , look at em in the pic . lmao have another !
    Last edited by EJandV; 08-12-07 at 05:08 PM. Reason: ***

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