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Montreal vs. Philadelphia


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Wolf helps Phillies topple scoreless Expos

SportsLine.com wire reports
 

MONTREAL -- The Montreal Expos sure could use Randy Wolf in their batting order.

Wolf homered, hit an RBI double and pitched a four-hitter for his seventh career shutout, leading the Philadelphia Phillies over the punchless Expos 7-0 Saturday.

Wolf (1-1), who pitched his 11th career complete game, hit his second major league homer in the seventh off Chad Bentz for a 6-0 lead. He added an RBI double in the ninth off Luis Ayala.

Asked to choose whether he felt better about his performance in the batter's box or his 109-pitch effort, Wolf stuck with what he does best.

"Always the pitching," said Wolf, who struck out three and walked one. "That's what I'm paid to do. It's nice to get lucky at the plate once in a while but it's nice to really pitch well."

Montreal, off to a franchise-worst start at 4-14, was shut out for the fifth time and has scored two runs or fewer in 13 games.

"It seems like everybody pitches a good game against us," said Jose Vidro, who had two of Montreal's four singles off Wolf.

 

The Expos have 32 runs, the fourth-lowest total through 18 games in major league history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, ahead of only the 1907 Brooklyn Superbas (20), the 1909 Washington Senators (28) and the 1966 Kansas City Athletics (31).

"I've never seen a run like this," Expos manager Frank Robinson said. "We go through ballgames where we don't hit the ball hard. And I'm not saying we only hit the ball hard once or twice, what I'm talking about is our outs are not hit hard, and I've never seen anything like that."

The game drew just 6,899 despite a kids' opening day promotion. On Friday night, the Expos drew 30,112, the smallest crowd for an Olympic Stadium opener since 1985.

Marlon Byrdhad three hits for the Phillies, who had a season-high 17. Philadelphia won its second straight after being swept at home by Florida In a three-game series. The Phillies have won six of nine after a 1-6 start.

"We needed that," Philadelphia manager Larry Bowa said. "Not only for our team, but for our bullpen. Byrd is starting to swing a little bit. It makes a lot of difference when you get people on at the top. Everybody's chipping in and that's what you have to do."

Tomo Ohka (0-4) allowed five runs -- four earned -- and 13 hits in six innings.

Byrd doubled to begin the game and hit an RBI single in a three-run second. He also singled in the sixth before scoring Philadelphia's fifth run on Ricky Ledee's two-out double.

Wolf allowed one-out singles to Orlando Cabrera and Vidro in the first before Tony Batista grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Wolf was perfect in the second, third and fourth innings, then got out of the fifth with a double play when Luis Lopez grounded to third.

Jimmy Rollins hit an RBI single to put the Phillies ahead in the second and Byrd beat out an infield single, driving in a run. Rollins scored on Einar Diaz's passed ball.

Rollins hit another RBI single in the third.

Notes

  • Byrd, who pitched two complete games last season -- both shutouts -- also was the previous Phillies' pitcher to homer. He hit his first career home run at Milwaukee on Aug. 22, 2002.
  • The Expos were shut out eight times last season.
  • Montreal's previous worst start through 18 games was 5-13 in 1970, 1991 and 1998.


AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2004, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
 
 
 
 
The Phillies' Randy Wolf not only pitches a four-hit shutout, but also homers and hits an RBI double.
The Phillies' Randy Wolf not only pitches a four-hit shutout, but also homers and hits an RBI double.(AP)

 
Scoreboard
Philadelphia «0310011017170
Montreal000000000040

Players of the Game
Philadelphia
R. Wolf IP 9.0
H 4
ER 0
BB 1
K 3
Montreal
J. Vidro AB 4
R 0
H 2
HR 0
RBI 0

Philadelphia Phillies
Marlon Byrd, CF5131100 .237
Placido Polanco, 2B4000104 .273
Bobby Abreu, RF6020015 .241
Jim Thome, 1B3100224 .344
    Tomas Perez, 1B0000000 .167
Ricky Ledee, LF5031002 .438
David Bell, 3B5120004 .264
Todd Pratt, C4231100 .400
Jimmy Rollins, SS5121014 .169
Randy Wolf, P4122013 .444
Totals4171765526 
Batting
2B - Marlon Byrd (2, Ohka), Ricky Ledee (2, Ohka), David Bell (3, Ohka), Todd Pratt (1, Ayala), Randy Wolf (2, Ayala)
HR - Randy Wolf (1, Bentz)
SH - Placido Polanco (1), Randy Wolf (1)
RBI - Marlon Byrd (4), Ricky Ledee (5), Todd Pratt (1), Jimmy Rollins (2), Randy Wolf 2 (2)
2-OUT RBI - Ricky Ledee (4), Randy Wolf (1)
Team LOB - 14
Fielding
DP - Bell-Polanco-Thome, Bell-Polanco-Thome, Rollins-Polanco-Thome

Philadelphia Phillies
Randy Wolf (W,1-1) 9400130 3.55
HBP - J. Rivera (by Randy Wolf)
Pitches-Strikes - Randy Wolf 109-72
Ground Balls-Fly Balls - Randy Wolf 11-10
Batters Faced - Randy Wolf 30

Montreal Expos
Endy Chavez, CF3000101 .125
Orlando Cabrera, SS4010002 .274
Jose Vidro, 2B4020021 .270
Tony Batista, 3B3000002 .213
Brad Wilkerson, LF3000010 .214
Juan Rivera, RF2000000 .229
Luis Lopez, 1B3000001 .154
Einar Diaz, C3000000 .143
Tomo Ohka, P1000000 .400
   a- Andy Fox, PH1010000 .200
    Chad Bentz, P0000000 .000
    Luis Ayala, P00000001.000
   b- Jamey Carroll, PH1000000 .158
Totals28040137 
a-singled for Ohka in the 6th
b-flied out for Ayala in the 9th
Fielding
DP - Ohka-Diaz-L. Lopez
PB - Einar Diaz (1)

Montreal Expos
Tomo Ohka (L,0-4) 61354330 5.95
Chad Bentz 2211121 6.75
Luis Ayala 1211100 4.66
IBB - Thome by Tomo Ohka
Pitches-Strikes - Tomo Ohka 91-59, Chad Bentz 35-21, Luis Ayala 27-17
Ground Balls-Fly Balls - Tomo Ohka 7-7, Chad Bentz 1-3, Luis Ayala 2-1
Batters Faced - Tomo Ohka 33, Chad Bentz 9, Luis Ayala 6

Game Information
Attendance - 6899
Game Time - 2:41
Temperature - 70
Umpires - Home - Matt Hollowell, First Base - Brian Gorman, Second Base - Bill Miller, Third Base - Dale Scott