Skip to content
Phillies
Link copied to clipboard

Phils win in 10th on Rollins' hit

Chase Utley had 2 HRs and 4 RBIs, and the bullpen held on at the finish.

Jimmy Rollins (left) gets a hug from Ryan Howard after knocking in the winning run in the 10th.
Jimmy Rollins (left) gets a hug from Ryan Howard after knocking in the winning run in the 10th.Read moreJERRY LODRIGUSS / Inquirer Staff Photographer

Jimmy Rollins looks ready to resume his villainy.

Rollins said earlier this month that he smiles too much to be considered a villain in New York. But if he has a couple of games against the New York Mets this weekend like the one he had last night in an 8-7, 10-inning victory over the Cincinnati Reds, Mets fans could look past the smile.

"I'm not the villain in Philly," Rollins joked. "[Jose] Reyes is the villain here. He kills us."

Rollins went 4 for 6 last night at Citizens Bank Park, including a game-tying triple in the eighth inning and a game-winning single in the 10th.

"That's what I'm paid to do," Rollins said. "I'm supposed to come up there in a good situation and be able to deliver. Chase [Utley] did it earlier. I happened to step up and get the job done. We play the game to win, and winning teams have players that do that. Tomorrow night it might be somebody else, but tonight it was me."

The victory moved the Phillies within three games of the Mets in the National League East.

The Phillies will open a four-game series against the Mets with a day-night doubleheader today. A four-game sweep would put the Phillies in first place.

They swept three games from the Mets earlier this month at Shea Stadium, but these Phils will look decidedly different.

The Phillies started Jamie Moyer, Adam Eaton and Cole Hamels in that series. They will start rookie J.D. Durbin in Game 1 today and Hamels in Game 2. Rookie lefthander J.A. Happ will make his big-league debut tomorrow and rookie righthander Kyle Kendrick will start Sunday.

Pat Burrell, who hit a game-tying home run against his nemesis Billy Wagner in a victory on June 7, has just four hits since and has become a reserve.

"It doesn't matter who's coming into town," Rollins said. "The team in front of us, the team we're playing that day, that's the team we need to beat. This series was important. And of course, the Mets are coming into town and it's good we got the win tonight. We've seen how a devastating loss can carry over for a game or two. Hopefully a win can carry over for us."

The Phillies took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Utley hit a two-run home run. Utley hit another two-run homer in the third to make it 4-4.

Righthander Adam Eaton allowed five runs in six innings, but the Phillies' offense has been hot. Ryan Howard walked with two outs in the fifth and Aaron Rowand singled. Leftfielder Greg Dobbs followed with a two-run double to give the Phils a 6-5 lead.

But Ryan Madson couldn't hold it. He allowed a run in the seventh and another in the eighth to give the Reds an 8-7 lead.

Abraham Nuñez smoked the ball off first baseman Scott Hatteberg's glove with two outs in the eighth for a single and Rollins ripped a ball into the right-field corner. Third-base coach Steve Smith had Nunez going home all the way, and he scored easily as Rollins reached third for a triple.

"That is a great lineup," Reds manager Jerry Narron said. "They might have the best lineup in all of baseball."

The Phillies will need to stay hot offensively. They will have three rookies on the mound this weekend and a bullpen that continues to give manager Charlie Manuel fits.

"It's a big test," Manuel said. "It's something we've got to go with. Whoever comes in there is capable of giving us five or six innings. And if they do that, I feel like we'll have a shot to win the games."

Roster moves. The Phillies placed Jayson Werth on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left wrist after the game. Werth said it is unrelated to his previous injury, which forced him to miss the entire 2006 season. The Phillies recalled catcher Chris Coste from double-A Reading to take his place.

The Phillies also optioned righthander Yoel Hernandez to triple-A Ottawa to make room for Durbin.

They made room for Durbin on the 40-man roster by placing righthander Scott Mathieson on the 60-day disabled list.

The Green Light

Chase Utley worked a 3-0 count on Reds pitcher Matt Belisle in the first inning, then swung away. He hit a two-run homer to right-center field.

He worked the same count against Belisle in the third inning. With another green light, he hit a two-run homer to center.

EndText

EndText