University Southern California Trojans
Battle of Phenoms Doesn't Go Prior's Way
July 24, 2002 | Baseball
July 24, 2002
CHICAGO (AP) - Brett Myers was marvelous in his major league debut, allowing two hits in eight innings Wednesday as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Chicago Cubs 4-2.
Myers, who outpitched fellow first-round pick Mark Prior in a meeting of 21-year-old rookies at windy Wrigley Field, left with a 4-1 lead.
Sammy Sosa hit his 31st homer with two outs in the ninth off Jose Mesa, who then gave up singles to Fred McGriff and Moises Alou before striking out Corey Patterson for his 27th save.
Myers (1-0) allowed a third-inning homer to Mark Bellhorn, then retired 14 straight before Todd Hundley hit a one-out double in the eighth. Myers, the 12th selection in the 1999 amateur draft, was called up from Triple-A before the game. If he was nervous, it didn't show.
He struck out five and walked just one -- Bill Mueller in the first. He followed the walk by retiring Sosa and McGriff.
The only other Cubs batter to reach base in the first seven innings was Bellhorn, who hit his 14th homer through a 14-mph wind in the third.
Prior (4-3), the No. 2 pick overall in the 2001 draft, walked five while striking eight in seven innings. He gave up just four hits, including a Marlon Anderson homer that broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh.
The Phillies had tied the game in the sixth on two walks, a double steal and Travis Lee's sacrifice fly.
Reliever Tom Gordon walked Abreu and Pat Burrell in the eighth, and Lee and Mike Lieberthal hit RBI singles that made it 4-1.
