Sep 15, 2002 3 min read

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Eric Junge planned to spend the past week mourning friends who had died in last September’s terrorist attacks and then preparing to pitch in the Arizona Fall League. But then the Philadelphia Phillies called him up to the majors, giving Junge an unexpected opportunity to commemorate his friends and show the big league club what he can do.

“I was pretty pleased. I didn’t think I would get called up,” Junge said.

Junge pitched five impressive innings as an emergency starter and earned his first major league victory as the Phillies beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-1 Saturday night.

Junge wore the names of three friends lost in the terrorist attacks on his hat. Two, Brad Fetchet and Mark McGinley, were classmates at Bucknell who worked in the World Trade Center. The third, Chris Mello, was a childhood friend who was on the plane that first crashed into the towers.

“I definitely think they were with me,” said the right-hander, who made his major league debut in relief on Wednesday.

Junge had planned to take a trip to New York for the one-year anniversary of the attacks, and he was going to play “Taps” on his trumpet in Times Square, as a tribute to his fallen friends.

Junge felt like he had something to prove to the Phillies after he wasn’t called up when rosters were expanded at the beginning of the month. He later added to the roster to add depth to the bullpen.

“I didn’t realize his fastball was as good as it was tonight,” Bowa said. “He wanted an opportunity and sometimes an opportunity like this can open some eyes.”

Pat Burrell hit his 37th homer and Bobby Abreu a two-run single as the Phillies beat Pittsburgh for the first time in five games this season.

Junge made the start after Brandon Duckworth was unable to pitch because of a stiff back. Junge gave up an unearned run on four hits, struck out five and walked four.

Jose Mesa pitched the ninth for his 40th save in 49 chances as the Phillies bullpen threw four scoreless innings. Mesa became the first pitcher in team history to record two 40-save seasons.

With the Phillies trailing 1-0, Marlon Anderson led off the fifth with a double to center field that Rob Mackowiak misjudged, and Todd Pratt followed with a single. Jimmy Rollins made it 1-all with an RBI double that hit off right fielder Craig Wilson’s glove.

Pratt and Rollins scored on a two-out single by Abreu, who extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon was unhappy with the team’s fielding during the inning.

“Anytime there’s a fly ball to center that hits the warning track, it should be caught,” McClendon said. “He had a bad jump and broke the wrong way. Wilson didn’t get a good jump either. That’s being kind.”

The Pirates scored their run in the fifth when Rollins dropped a routine popup in shallow left, allowing Pokey Reese to score from third. Reese had doubled and went to third on Jack Wilson’s sacrifice.

Brian Meadows (1-6) went five innings and gave up three runs on five hits with one walk and a strikeout. He has lost three straight decisions.

NOTES: Jack Wilson’s sacrifice bunt was his 16th of the season, tops in the majors. … Mesa’s 40 saves tied him for third on the Phillies’ single-season saves list with Steve Bedrosian (1987). Mitch Williams set the team record with 43 in 1993. … Burrell’s 37 homers and 113 RBIs are the most by a Phillies player since Mike Schmidt hit 37 homers in 1986 and drove in 113 in 1987.