Phillies 17, Expos 7

PHILADELPHIA – Bobby Abreu and David Bell each homered and drove in three runs, and the Philadelphia Phillies roughed up the Montreal Expos for the second straight night with a 17-7 victory.

The Phillies had 17 hits, batted around twice and got at least one hit and a run from their starting lineup except Jim Thome.

Jimmy Rollins also had three RBIs, while Placido Polanco homered and scored twice and pinch-hitter Tomas Perez added atwo-run shot in the eighth. Bell, who hit for the cycle on Monday, also scored three runs and had an RBI single in the third.

In the first two games of a four-game series, the Phillies have racked up 31 runs, 32 hits and seven home runs. The Phillies routed the Expos 14-6 Monday.

Eric Milton (10-2) allowed seven runs on seven hits in five innings, but moved into a tie for the major league lead in wins. He helped his own cause with his first career sacrifice fly in the second inning and an RBI single in Philadelphia’s six-run third.

Phillies rookie Ryan Madson pitched three hitless innings in relief of Milton.

Polanco led off the third with his fourth homer of the year. After Abreu walked and Thome struck out, four of the next five hitters singled off Expos starter Shawn Hill (0-1). Rollins capped the rally with a two-run double that made it 8-3.

Montreal pulled within one on back-to-back homers from Nick Johnson and Juan Rivera, but the Phillies answered with a five-run fifth, highlighted by Abreu’s 424-foot homer.

For the second night in a row, the Phillies had six- and five-run innings.

Hill, making his first major league appearance in place of Tony Armas Jr., surrendered eight runs and seven hits, while walking four in 2 2-3 innings.

Armas, who missed most of last year and the first two months of this season following surgery on his throwing shoulder, was scratched a few hours before gametime due to stiffness in the joint. He is expected to make his next start on Saturday against Toronto.

Montreal’s Jose Vidro extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a single in the fifth.

Notes: The Phillies hit their 43rd homer this month, breaking a club record for home runs in a month set in June 1977. … The Expos are a combined 0-9 at the National League’s newest ballparks – Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park and Petco Park in San Diego. … Vidro had an RBI groundout in the first for his 21st RBI this month. He had just 15 RBIs in the first two months of the season. … Phillies LF Pat Burrell was 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored before leaving the game after four innings with a strained groin. … Expos SS Orlando Cabrera had two stolen bases. … Four pitchers combined to throw 245 pitches in the first five innings.

AP-ES-06-29-04 2232EDT