Carter Still Has the Phillies' Number

L.A. Times Archives

June 15, 1997 12 AM PT

From Associated Press

Toronto’s Joe Carter, whose ninth-inning homer off Mitch Williams in Game 6 of the 1993 World Series defeated Philadelphia, hit a two-run homer Saturday night to give the Blue Jays a 3-2 victory over the Phillies at Philadelphia.

“That’s just a part of history,” Carter said of his World Series-winning homer. “It’s a good part for us, and not a great ending for Philadelphia.”

Carter has a history of getting memorable hits against the Phillies. In addition to the World Series homer, he got his first and 1,000th major league hits against Philadelphia, and could get his 2,000th if he gets a hit today in the final game of the series.

“It’s very ironic to spend 12-13 years in the American League and get your first, 1,000th and possibly 2,000th in the same National League city,” he said.

Carter began his major league career in 1983 with the Chicago Cubs and got his 1,000th hit in 1990 when he was with San Diego--his only two years playing in the National League.

With Orlando Merced on first, Carter homered off rookie Ryan Nye (0-2) in the seventh inning after Darren Daulton had tied the game in the bottom of the sixth with a solo homer.

Carter’s homer made a winner of Robert Person (2-4), who gave up seven hits and two runs in 6 2/3 innings.

Paul Quantrill, who was traded from Philadelphia to Toronto after the 1995 season, pitched the final two innings for his fourth save.

Montreal 1, Detroit 0--Pedro Martinez struck out a career-high 14 and pitched a three-hitter as the Expos extended their winning streak to a season-high eight games at Montreal.

Martinez (9-2) lowered his major league-leading earned run average to 1.60 with his sixth career shutout.

Martinez, who struck out 13 Chicago Cubs in his previous start on June 8, walked two in his fifth complete game this season and the 12th of his career.

Rondell White hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth, helping the Expos put together their longest winning streak since another one of eight games April 19-26 last season.

Chicago Cubs 9, Milwaukee 5--Rookie Kevin Orie went three for three with a homer and the Cubs won their first interleague game before the largest crowd of the season at Wrigley Field.

The announced attendance was 38,593--many of them Brewers’ followers from across the state line--and they got to see an American League-like game lasting three hours 14 minutes.

Winning pitcher Steve Trachsel (4-5) had two hits and a sacrifice bunt, despite entering the game just one hit in 25 at-bats.

Colorado 7, Oakland 1--Roger Bailey’s eight-hitter and home runs by Ellis Burks, Andres Galarraga and Larry Walker at Oakland powered the Rockies to their first interleague victory.

Bailey (7-5) struck out five and walked four en route to a team-record fifth complete game.

Walker had two hits and raised his major league-leading average to .412.

Kansas City 8, Pittsburgh 3--Jeff King hit two more homers against his old team, giving him three in two games, and Tim Belcher, one of the Pirates’ chief antagonists while in the National League, pitched the Royals to victory at Pittsburgh.

The crowd of 39,509 was the Pirates’ largest since opening day and boosted the two-day turnout to 72,762.

Belcher (8-6) improved to 11-4 lifetime against the Pirates, shaking off a three-run fourth inning to pitch seven innings for his third victory in as many starts.

Cleveland 8-2, St. Louis 3-5--Rookie pitcher Matt Morris won his fourth consecutive start with a five-hitter over 8 1/3 innings to help the Cardinals earn a split at St. Louis in the first interleague doubleheader.

Dennis Eckersley, who pitched for the Indians in the 1970s, retired Jim Thome and Matt Williams in the ninth for his 13th save.

In the first game, the Indians won by scoring all of their runs in the seventh and eighth innings. All but two of their 14 hits were singles.

David Justice singled to open the eighth, advanced to third on a sacrifice and a groundout and scored on Marquis Grissom’s tie-breaking single as the Indians scored five runs to break the game open.

Cincinnati 5, Chicago White Sox 1--Kent Mercker kept Albert Belle in check and held the slumping White Sox to four hits over eight innings at Cincinnati .

Deion Sanders overshadowed Belle by singling in a run with his 500th career hit. Belle was hitless in four at-bats.

Chicago has managed only 10 hits in splitting its two interleague games with the Reds. The White Sox have lost five of six overall and gone 2-5 with Frank Thomas, the American League’s leading hitter, sidelined by pulled abdominal muscles.

Minnesota 6, Houston 1--Matt Lawton hit a two-run homer in the first inning and the Twins ended Darryl Kile’s winning streak at six at Houston.

Kile (7-3) walked Chuck Knoblauch to start the game and Lawton followed with his fourth homer.

Kile settled down and kept the Twins in check but still got the loss, his first since April 30 against Montreal. Kile gave up seven hits in seven innings.

Rich Robertson (7-3) gave up six hits in six innings with five strikeouts for Minnesota.

New York Yankees at Florida--Game was called after 2 1/2 innings because of rain and will be made up as part of a doubleheader today.

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BESTS OF THE DAY

BATTING

Player: Mike Piazza

Team: Dodgers

Performance: 4 for 4, 2 runs, 2 RBIs, , 2 doubles, home run

Team’s Result: Loss

Player: Larry Walker

Team: Colorado

Performance: 2 for 3, 3 runs, 2 RBIs, double, home run