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Heroics In 11th Lift Phillies


Ron Gant gave new meaning to the term timely hitting.

Gant hit a game-tying, two-run home run in the eighth inning off the Veterans Stadium clock before Domingo Cedeno hit a game-winning, two-run homer in the 11th Friday night as the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2.

The win extended Philadelphia's winning streak to four games.

"We had so many people come up big, especially Gant and Cedeno," said Phillies manager Terry Francona, who watched his club improve to a season-high 13 games over .500.

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Game Summary

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  • Gant's homer came off Randy Johnson, who had shut Philadelphia down over the first seven innings, allowing just three hits.

    "We weren't doing anything against Johnson before Gant hits that shot," Francona said. "It was obviously a big turning point in the game."

    Glanville led off with a single before Gant launched his 12th homer of the season just inside the left-field foul pole and off the clock in the upper deck.

    "It was a hanging slider that he got up and in," Gant said. "Usually he keeps that pitch down and away, that's why he's so dominant."

    "It was a bad pitch," Johnson said. "That's the price you pay when you make a mistake in this league."

    The Phillies finally took advantage of Gant's homer in the 11th. Kevin Sefcik singled with one out off Bobby Chouinard (4-2) before Cedeno homered to right-center. It was his first National League homer and second of the season.

    "I was behind in the count and I just wanteto put the ball in play," said Cedeno, who hit a 1-2 pitch.

    Cedeno's last game-winning homer came in 1996 while with the Toronto Blue Jays. Two days later, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox.

    "I hope that doesn't happen this time around," joked Cedeno, who missed the previous three games with an injury suffered when he caught his right hand in a car door.

    Wayne Gomes (3-1) pitched two scoreless innings of relief for the victory, allowing one hit and two walks.

    Johnson allowed five hits over eight innings, walked three and struck out 10.

    He was once again victimized by a lack of run support as Arizona had scored just 13 runs in his previous nine starts. During the stretch, he is 2-6 with a 1.25 ERA.

    "It's happened too many times this year," Arizona manager Buck Showalter said. "Every game Randy pitches, he doesn't have any margin of error. It was another outstanding effort by him, one that got away from us again."

    Philadelphia starter Randy Wolf settled down after a shaky start and pitched 7 1-3 innings, his longest outing since starting the season 5-0. He allowed five hits, struck out seven and walked five.

    Greg Colbrunn put Arizona ahead in the fourth with a two-run homer to left. After Matt Williams opened the inning with a single to center, Colbrunn hit a first-pitch fastball for his third homer of the season.

    Notes

  • The Phillies held an alumni batting challenge before the game. The team of Tug McGraw and Del Unser, two vital parts to the club's 1980 World Championship squad, won the competition which also included John Kruk, Mitch Williams, Bob Boone, Gary Matthews, Greg Luzinski and Dick Allen.
  • In his 10 previous starts, Wolf's ERA in the first inning was 14.40. He walked the bases loaded, but struck out Bernard Gilkey to escape.
  • Tony Womack, Arizona's usual right fielder, started at shortstop. It was his fourth appearance at the position this season.
  • Arizona has played 15 of its last 21 games on the road.
  • Kevin Jordan was 0-for-11 against Johnson in his career before a sixth-inning single.
  • The Phillies sat regulars Rico Brogna, Bobby Abreu and and went with an all right-handed lineup.
  • Johnson leads the majors with 193 2-3 innings pitched.

    ©1999 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

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