Phillies Lose 15-13 In 11 Innings On A Chipper Jones Home Run
ATLANTA (AP) -- Roy Halladay offered regret for his teammates, especially Carlos Ruiz, instead of excuses for himself after his worst outing in five years.
Halladay gave up eight runs to blow a six-run lead and Chipper Jones hit a two-run homer in the 11th inning as the Atlanta Braves overcame Ruiz's seven RBIs to outlast the Philadelphia Phillies 15-13 on Wednesday night.
Ruiz had three hits, including a three-run homer in the seventh and a three-run double in the eighth. He was the first Phillies hitter to drive in seven runs since Ryan Howard against the Yankees on June 20, 2006.
"He's been awesome for us," said Halladay of Ruiz. "I think that's what hurts most. When you have games like this, your teammates are out there grinding and getting it done and I didn't. And that was the difference, really.
"That's the toughest one, letting those guys down who really got it done today."
Laynce Nix also hit a three-run double for the Phillies.
Halladay gave up 12 hits—one below his career high—and eight runs in 5 1-3 innings.
Halladay was tagged by Brian McCann's fifth career slam in the fifth. The former Cy Young winner had not allowed as many earned runs since May 5, 2007, when he gave up nine runs in 5 1-3 innings at Texas.
"Honestly, I felt good," Halladay said after seeing his ERA climb from 1.95 to 3.40. "There were some that I didn't execute. It wasn't anything else."
The seesaw game saw the Braves rally from a 6-0 deficit against Halladay, then come back from four runs down in the eighth.
"It was just a weird game all the way around," said McCann, who hit a grand slam off Halladay. "Stuff you've never seen happen."
It was the highest-scoring extra-inning game in the majors since Cleveland beat Kansas City 15-13 in 10 innings in 2006, STATS LLC said.
Dan Uggla led off the Atlanta 11th with a single. Jones just missed a homer on a ball that landed barely foul to right, then connected against Brian Sanches (0-1).
"It can be deflating, but I look at the other side, too: We scored 13 runs," said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel.
"The bottom line is, we couldn't hold a four-run lead. Our bullpen hasn't been tested. This was a good test for them."
Jones' homer ended the Braves' eight-game losing streak to the Phillies. Chad Durbin (1-0) pitched a scoreless 11th.
Braves closer Craig Kimbrel couldn't hold a 13-12 lead in the ninth. Shane Victorino's two-out infield hit drove in Juan Pierre, who walked and stole second and took third on a grounder.
Martin Prado had three hits and drove in three runs, including a two-run single in the Atlanta eighth.
Braves reliever Eric O'Flaherty blew an 8-6 lead before recording an out in the seventh. Ty Wigginton walked, pinch-hitter John Mayberry Jr. singled and Ruiz followed with his fourth homer to left for a 9-8 edge.
Atlanta's Tommy Hanson gave up eight hits and four runs in 3 2-3 innings. It was his shortest start since he pitched 3 1-3 innings against the Mets on Aug. 6, 2011, in his last outing before he was placed on the disabled list for the remainder of the season with right shoulder tendinitis.
NOTES: Phillies LHP Cliff Lee, on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left oblique muscle, threw in the bullpen before the game. If he has no discomfort, he plans another bullpen session on Saturday. If all goes well on Saturday, Lee is expected to come off the disabled list. ... Atlanta's Jason Heyward missed his third straight start with soreness around his right oblique muscle before entering the game as a pinch-hitter and remaining in right field. ... The Phillies placed 1B Jim Thome on the 15-day disabled list with tightness in his lower back and recalled C Erik Kratz from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The move was made retroactive to Sunday. ... The three-game series ends on Thursday when Braves RHP Randall Delgado (2-2) starts against RHP Joe Blanton (2-3).
