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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Andy Ashby has tried everything to break his
run of bad luck and bad pitching this season. It all finally ended
when he went back to basics.
Ashby allowed three hits in seven innings for his first victory
since May 7 as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Milwaukee Brewers
5-3 Monday night.
Ashby (3-7) was far from perfect, but he pitched out of several
jams and allowed just two sacrifice flies by Ron Belliard.
|  | | Andy Ashby walked three and hit three batters but was still smiling at the end Monday, thanks to his first victory in eight starts. |
He also hit three batters -- drawing lusty boos from the
Milwaukee crowd after each one -- and walked three, but Milwaukee's
only hits off Ashby were two doubles by Henry Blanco and another by
Jose Hernandez.
"He was carrying a lot of weight on his shoulders, but he got
it done," Phillies manager Terry Francona said. "I think when
they started booing him, that's what helped him. He thought he was
at home."
With an 0-4 record in his last seven starts and a trip to the
disabled list that ended last week, the two-time All-Star has been
at wit's end. It hasn't helped that Phillies general manager Ed
Wade has been trying to trade him.
Ashby had several long conversations with pitching coach Galen
Cisco in recent days, and their conclusion was that Ashby should
simply slow down.
"I tried not to jump to the plate before I need to ... just
basically be calm," Ashby said. "What has been frustrating more
than anything for me is not giving this team a chance."
Philadelphia opened a four-game series in Milwaukee with its
12th win in 17 games. The Phillies have won their last five series
but are still last in the NL East.
Brewers manager Davey Lopes was angry about his team's mental
lapses. He specifically mentioned an error by first baseman Charlie
Hayes that helped start a Phillies rally, as well as a wild pitch
by Valerio De Los Santos that allowed Doug Glanville to score in
the seventh.
"Those are two easy plays where, to me, people are not focusing
on what they're supposed to be doing out there," Lopes said.
Scott Rolen, whose offensive upswing has led the Phillies'
recent run of good play, drove in two runs and extended his hitting
streak to 11 games. He hit two singles, reached base on an error
and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
Ron Gant, who took the day off Sunday to rest his sore knees,
had three hits and scored three runs for the Phillies.
Philadelphia closer Jeff Brantley allowed a leadoff homer by
Marquis Grissom in the ninth, then barely escaped a jam for his
12th save in 12 chances.
With runners at the corners and one out, Belliard struck out as
James Mouton stole second. Luis Lopez then walked, but Geoff
Jenkins took a called third strike on a 1-2 pitch.
"I still am a little shaky," Francona said with a grin.
Ashby, who returned to Philadelphia's starting rotation last
week after going on the disabled just with a finger infection, was
facing John Snyder (3-3) for the second time in five days. Ashby
allowed six runs and got no decision in Philadelphia's 9-7 win over
Snyder and Milwaukee on June 28.
Philadelphia went up 3-1 by scoring two unearned runs in the
fifth inning. Gant doubled home Glanville, moved to third on a
groundout and scored on Rolen's sacrifice fly, sliding under
Blanco's tag at the plate.
Snyder continued a run of strong starts by Milwaukee starters,
allowing eight hits and five runs -- three earned -- in 6 1/3
innings. Snyder continued pitching even after Ashby hit him in his
throwing hand with a pitch in the third inning.
"It was more shock than anything," said Snyder, who added that
the injury didn't begin to stiffen and affect his throwing until
the late innings.
In the seventh, Snyder tired, and the Phillies got two more runs
when Glanville scored on a wild pitch and Rolen singled home Gant.
Game
notes
Last July, Rolen sustained a lower back injury at County
Stadium that dogged him the rest of the year. He hurt himself
sliding into second. "There's not a black cloud over this place or
anything," Rolen said. ... Ashby had hit just two batters in his
first 14 starts of the season. ... Glanville stole his 17th base in
the fifth inning. ... After a three-game weekend series with the
Chicago Cubs drew more than 100,000 fans to County Stadium, just
13,903 showed up on Monday night.
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Baseball Scoreboard
Philadelphia Clubhouse
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