Down 7, Phils Rally to beat Dodgers 10-9
A Carlos Ruiz walk off 2 run single capped off the Phils 10-9 comeback win over the Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park. Entering the 8th, the Phils trailed 9-2, scored 4 runs in the inning, and 4 more in the 9th on route to the win. The W erases the poor pitching performance by starter Joe Blanton, who went 5 2/3 innings, surrendering 4 runs on 8 hits, 3 strikeouts, and 4 walks. The bullpen not fairing any better, allowing 5 more runs.
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Carlos Ruiz doubled home the tying and winning runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift Philadelphia to a remarkable 10-9 comeback win over Los Angeles in the rubber match of a three- game set.
Jonathan Broxton (4-4) came on to protect a 9-6 lead only to hit Placido Polanco and walk both Mike Sweeney and Jayson Werth to load the bases with nobody out in the ninth. Ben Francisco hit a potential double play ball that went right between third baseman Casey Blake's legs and out into left field to allow Polanco and Sweeney to score and slice a one-time seven run deficit to 9-8.
Ruiz then clobbered a 1-1 slider near the top of the wall in left-center to chase home Werth and Francisco to complete the comeback and lead the Phillies to their 15th win in their last 17 home games.
Danys Baez (3-3) worked a scoreless ninth inning to earn the win for Philadelphia, which closed to within two games of front-running Atlanta in the NL East.
Ronald Belisario took the hill for LA with a seven-run cushion in the eighth and yielded a two-run single to Werth that trimmed the lead to 9-4. Werth advanced to second base on a balk and scored on a double by Francisco that knocked the right-hander out of the game.
Kenley Jansen took over and gave up a one-out run-scoring single to Wilson Valdez that brought Philadelphia to within three and George Sherrill out of the bullpen. The veteran left-hander set down pinch-hitter Domonic Brown before Jimmy Rollins walked and Raul Ibanez bounced out to end the threat.
The visitors pushed their lead to 9-2 in the eighth as they put two men on against J.C. Romero, who was replaced on the hill by Jose Contreras, who allowed RBI hits to Casey Blake, Matt Kemp and Jamey Carroll.
Ronnie Belliard, Kemp and Carroll delivered consecutive run-scoring singles with two outs in the first inning to stake the Dodgers to a 3-0 lead.
The Phillies got on the board in the second when Ruiz singled, moved to third base on a Valdez double and scored on a Joe Blanton groundout.
Werth led off the fourth inning with a single, stole second base and scored on a one-out single by Ruiz just past diving second baseman Ryan Theriot out into center field for a 3-2 game.
Los Angeles got the run back in the top of the fifth on a Belliard sacrifice fly that scored Theriot, who deftly slid around the tag of Ruiz at the plate just ahead of Ibanez's throw from left field.
Blanton walked Theriot to load the bases with two outs in the sixth and was lifted from the game and replaced by Chad Durbin, who got Andre Ethier to ground out to end the threat.
The Phillies right-hander allowed four runs on eight hits and four walks while fanning three over 5 2/3 innings.
Durbin, though, was not so fortunate in the seventh, as James Loney singled and scored when Kemp followed with a home run to left field.
Los Angeles starter Clayton Kershaw had set down 10 in a row before Shane Victorino, activated off the disabled list earlier in the day, drew a two-out walk in the home seventh as a pinch-hitter and stole second base. Rollins then walked as Kershaw was removed from the game in favor of Hong-Chih Kuo, who got Ibanez to fly out to end the frame.
The LA southpaw yielded two runs on six hits while walking two and striking out four in 6 2/3 frames.
Game Notes
The Phillies are 10-4-4 in their 18 home series this year, while the Dodgers slumped to 7-12 in their 19 road series...Ibanez went hitless in five at-bats and had a career-high 18-game hit streak snapped...Polanco was 2-for-4 and pushed his hit streak to 11 games...Blanton's RBI was his first of the year and third of his career. He is 1-0 in five career starts against Los Angeles...Kershaw is 0-3 in five career turns against the Phillies.
