Ledee leads Phillies over Braves

Brett Myers gave up six hits in seven innings.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ATLANTA -- Good things happen when Brett Myers pitches seven innings.
Ricky Ledee drove in three runs and Myers overcame a rough first inning to win for the first time in three starts, leading the Philadelphia Phillies over the Atlanta Braves 5-3 Saturday.
"Any time a pitcher can get runs early, it's good," Myers said. "After that, I try to go out and relax."
The Braves, losing two straight for the first time in 17 games, fell to 27-28, their worst record this late in the season since having an identical record on June 6, 1992.
After allowing two runs and three hits in the first, Myers (4-3) gave up just three more hits in his seven innings. He walked four and struck out five.
When pitching at least seven innings, Myers has won seven straight starts and is now 10-3 in his career.
"I was throwing sinkers away and curveballs -- anything that will get a groundball," Myers said. "I learned a lot about myself. The last three starts, I've found my rhythm and kept my body under control."
Tim Worrell struck out the side in the ninth for his eighth save.
Rare start
Ledee started for just the third time since May 16, when he had three RBIs at Colorado. The Phillies took a 4-0 lead in the first on Ledee's two-run single, and RBI singles by Chase Utley and Todd Pratt.
Ledee, playing left field to give Pat Burrell a day off, added an RBI single for a 5-2 lead in the second.
Once Myers settled down, Ledee knew the right-hander would make the most of his run support.
"After the first inning, he was good," Ledee said. "We had to take advantage of that."
Myers held the Braves scoreless for his last six innings, stranding runners in scoring position to end the first, third, fifth and seventh. Atlanta finished 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
Loss for Ortiz
Russ Ortiz (6-5) lost for the first time in three starts, allowing nine hits, five runs and three walks in six innings. The right-hander struck out eight.
Ortiz, who turned 30 Saturday, was 3-0 with a 1.17 ERA in his previous three starts.
"After I came out from that inning, all I could really do or think was to go out there and keep making my pitches," Ortiz said. "Even after they got that next run, still it's the same thing. Go out and make my pitches and believe that these guys are going to make an effort to catch up."
Rheal Cormier allowed Andruw Jones' RBI double to make it 5-3 in the eighth. Chipper Jones, pinch-hitting for Nick Green, reached on third baseman Tomas Perez's fielding error, but Cormier escaped further damage when Mark DeRosa grounded into a fielder's choice.
"We got right back in it at 4-2," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "Two runs over the eight innings is nothing. You would think we would score three or four anyway. We needed to hold them and we did, basically."
Wolf's status
The Phillies will place starter Randy Wolf on the 15-day disabled list if closer Billy Wagner has a good outing in a rehab assignment today.
Wagner, on the DL with a strained left groin, will pitch for Double-A affiliate Reading in Bowie, Md.
Wolf, who has tendinitis in his left elbow, finished his scheduled bullpen session Saturday before the Phillies' win over the Atlanta Braves, but he felt tight and couldn't adequately extend after releasing the ball.
"I don't have any argument with that," Wolf said of the club's decision. "Two years ago, I was out a couple of starts, and it cleaned up. It's not sore, just kind of stiff. There's no reason to rush anything."
Wolf, who's 2-3 with a 2.91 ERA, was scheduled to start Tuesday when Philadelphia visits the Chicago White Sox. If Wagner reports no problems and comes off the DL, manager Larry Bowa said rookie reliever Ryan Madson would make his first career start.
"We can compensate," Bowa said. "Right now it doesn't look like Wolf will miss more than two starts."
If Wagner remains on the DL, Bowa likely will keep Madson in the bullpen and keep Josh Hancock in the rotation. Hancock lasted only two innings in his last start, an 8-4 loss Thursday to Atlanta. The 26-year-old allowed eight hits, six earned runs and one walk.
The Phillies are already down one starter with right-hander Vicente Padilla on the DL with biceps tendinitis.
PHILAATLANTA
abrhbiabrhbi
Rollins ss5110Furcal ss5110
ToPerz 3b5110DWise lf5000
BAbreu rf3120JDrew rf2110
Thome 1b4100JEstda c4121
Ledee lf4123JuFrco 1b4011
Utley 2b3011AJones cf3011
Pratt c4021NGreen 2b3000
Byrd cf3000CJones ph1000
BMyers p3010JGarca 2b0000
Burrell ph1000DeRosa 3b4010
Crmier p0000RuOrtiz p2010
Worrell p0000Almnza p0000
Mrrero ph0000
Alfnsca p0000
Ntkwsk p0000
EddPrz ph1000
Totals355105Totals34383
Philadelphia410000000--5
Atlanta200000010--3
E--ToPerez (4). DP--Philadelphia 1. LOB--Philadelphia 8, Atlanta 8. 2B--JEstrada (19), JuFranco (5), AJones (14). SB--BAbreu 2 (12), Ledee (2), Furcal (6), JDrew (4). CS--Utley (1). S--Byrd.
IPHRERBBSO
Philadelphia
BMyers W,4-3762245
Cormier121101
Worrell S,8100003
Atlanta
RuOrtiz L,6-5695538
Almanza100011
Alfonseca110000
Nitkowski100002
Umpires--Home, Tim Tschida; First, Jeff Nelson; Second, Marty Foster; Third, Joe Brinkman. T--2:56. A--29,252.
Marlins 7, Mets 6
NEW YORK -- Mike Stanton's pitch was supposed to be down-and-in to Damion Easley. Instead it was down the middle of the plate.
Easley lifted it into the left-field bullpen, for a three-run, pinch-hit homer in the seventh inning, helping Florida rally for a victory over the New York Mets.
"I was just trying to get a good pitch to handle," Easley said. "It wasn't that complicated or more detailed than that. It's always exciting to give the team a boost off the bench. You've got one bullet and you don't want to waste it."
Stanton came in to face Easley after hits by Alex Gonzalez and Matt Treanor chased reliever Ricky Bottalico.
"I wanted a groundball double play," Stanton said. "He got under the ball and it carried. It's not like he doesn't have the power to do it. He got good wood on it."
Mike Piazza had two homers for the Mets, including a leadoff shot against ex-teammate Armando Benitez in the ninth. Benitez went on to retire the next three hitters for his 22nd save, and fourth straight against the Mets.
Piazza's two homers gave him 370 for his career, moving him past hall of famer Ralph Kiner and tying him for 56th on the all-time list with Gil Hodges.
His first homer of the game, tied the score at 2 in the fifth, and the Mets scored three more in the sixth, in a rally fueled by Ty Wigginton and Todd Zeile, who had three hits apiece.
But Florida came right back and manager Jack Mckeon went for Easley.
"Where is my long ball guy?" McKeon asked.
The homer was Easley's second of the season, and just his second career pinch-hit home run.
When Piazza connected against Benitez in the ninth, McKeon wasn't bothered.
"It didn't mean a thing, we had a cushion. I have not had a thing to worry about with his performance. I'll take that for the next 25 to 35 games."
FLORIDANEW YORK
abrhbiabrhbi
Pierre cf5010Matsui ss5111
LCstillo 2b5220Zeile 3b5031
Lowell 3b5021Floyd lf5000
Cbrera rf5110Piazza 1b5222
Choi 1b3120Spncer rf4110
Conine lf3012Wggntn 2b4130
AGnzlz ss4121Cmeron cf3010
Tranor c4110VWilsn c3112
Phelps p1000MGintr p1000
Willis ph1010Valent ph1000
BHwrd p0000Bttlco p0000
LHarrs ph0000Stanton p0000
Easley ph1113KGarca ph0000
Brland p0000JPhllps ph1000
Perisho p0000Wthers p0000
Mrdcai ph1000JoFrco p0000
Benitez p0000Wheelr p0000
Totals387147Totals376126
Florida200000311--7
New York010013001--6
E--Treanor (1), Zeile (6). DP--New York 2. LOB--Florida 6, New York 10. 2B--Lowell (19), Zeile (9), VWilson (4). 3B--LCastillo (2). HR--Easley (2), Piazza 2 (12). SB--Conine (1), Matsui (9). CS--Pierre (9). S--MGinter. SF--VWilson.
IPHRERBBSO
Florida
Phelps451125
BHoward254404
Borland2-310020
Perisho W,4-21 1-300002
Benitez S,22111101
New York
MGinter662213
Bottalico1-322200
Stanton2-311101
Weathers L,5-21 1-331110
JoFranco1-311100
Wheeler1-310000
Umpires--Home, Ed Rapuano; First, Ted Barrett; Second, Alfonso Marquez; Third, Rick Reed. T--3:15. A--24,803.
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