PHILLIES NEWS

Last year, everything and I mean everything that went wrong for the Phils last year was blamed on Pat Burrell. The truth is though, that his numbers weren't really as bad as everyone seems to think they were. I mean he hit 20+ homers and and knocked close to 100 runs, which on most teams doesn't look too bad, but on a Phils team featuring Ryan Howard with 58 homers and 150 RBIs, and Chase Utley with 30 homers and 100+ RBIs, those numbers do tend to lack a bit of luster. Tonight, however Burrell began to atone for his only okay 2006. On a night when the new "lefty" Cole Hamels went 7 innings and allowed only 2 runs on 7 hits and the bullpen pitched near perfect 2 hit ball, all the Phils really needed was a couple of big blasts. A couple of big blasts was exactly what Pat Burrell gave them. In the 4th inning with 2 on and and nobody out and the Phils trailing 2-0, Burrell hit his first homer of the day off Cubs starter Rich Hill, to put the Phils up 3-2. Then in the 6th inning he did it again only this time with only one on and nobody out to increase the Phils lead to 5-2. Although that would be all the Phils would need, Chase Utley kept the momentum going anyway, knocking in a couple runs in the 7th inning with 2 outs, to put the Cubs away for good by the eventual final score of 7-2. Life is still Beautiful.