Phillies rally past Rockies, thanks to Galvis

DENVER – In a 48-hour span, Jake Diekman went from sitting in Triple A Lehigh Valley's bullpen with an unattractive 5.70 ERA to being summoned into a gargantuan big-league assignment.

The 26-year-old Diekman, who joined the Phils for the first time this season yesterday afternoon in Denver, was called on to take the ball in the 7th inning.

And it wasn't just any ordinary 7th inning. After the Phils put up three runs in each of their last two at-bats, Diekman was asked to keep the momentum going by holding a one-run lead.

Oh, and all he had to do was begin that inning by getting out the guy who tied Domonic Brown for the National League led in home runs earlier in the night.

"That was fun," Diekman laughed afterward.

Diekman did not get Carlos Gonzalez out. His first major league pitch of 2013 was hit into leftfield for a single.

But Diekman maintained his composure and got the next two hitters, also accomplished ones in Michael Cuddyer and Todd Helton, out on ground balls before handing the ball to the next reliever out of a beat-up bullpen.

In a game that they trailed by four runs after four innings, the most unlikely thing happened for the Phillies: The offense awoke – and stayed awake, too – and the relief corps picked up a starting pitcher.

A six-pack of relievers, including three that began the season in the minor leagues, combined for 4 2/3 shutout innings while Freddy Galvis led the offensive comeback with a pair of two-run triples as the Phils pulled off an improbable 8-7 win last night in Denver.

"It was good," Diekman said of his role. "I just had to go right after them."

The victory was the Phils' second straight following five consecutive defeats on their current road trip.

"That was a good team win, that's what we need right now," Galvis said. "Everyone did their job."

The offense came alive in part because the manager brought them to attention before the game began. Manager Charlie Manuel had an impromptu, mini-team meeting.

He spoke with his hitters in the indoor cage at Coors Field before the game.

"We talked about baserunning, taking leads … and who we were, what we've been doing and what we need to do," Manuel said. "They were definitely listening. I felt good about it."

In addition to a pregame pep talk, the manager packed his roster appropriately for Coors Field. In preparation for the three-game series against the Rockies, the Phils added an extra arm to the 'pen in Diekman.

"Sometimes you get a lot of big-run scoring games there," Manuel said before the series.

He needed less than 24 hours in Denver to witness one of those games.

Kyle Kendrick was the recipient of a good, old-fashioned Coors Field spanking. The reliable righthander had what was easily his worst start of the season in allowing seven runs on 10 hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings.

Gonzalez and Josh Rutledge, an infielder called up to replace recently injured MVP candidate Troy Tulowitzki, both homered off Kendrick.

"Obviously, it wasn't my night," Kendrick said.

The Rockies had a 7-2 lead after five innings.

But then the Phils' offense, which hadn't scored more than three runs in a game in a week, rose from the dead.

Ryan Howard began the sixth inning by working his second walk of the game, and Kevin Frandsen, hitting fifth for the first time in his career, followed with his second single of the game. Two batters later, Galvis, who came into the night in a 1-for-20 slump, ripped a two-run triple to draw the Phils within three.

The Phillies trailed, 7-5, after six innings.

In the bottom of the sixth, Mike Stutes, who began the season in Lehigh Valley with Diekman, walked the first batter he faced before retiring the next three to keep the deficit at two runs.

Galvis erased that deficit in the seventh with one swing. With two on and two out, Galvis took the first pitch from Wilton Lopez and laced it past Todd Helton at first base and into rightfield. Tie game.

"You have to stay confident," Galvis said of his recent struggles. "It's a long season, we have 90-something games left. You have to keep your head up and play hard every day."

After landing on third base for the second straight inning, Galvis made the 90-foot trek home less than a minute later. Jimmy Rollins, who was out of the starting lineup with a sore hip, followed with a pinch-hit, go-ahead single.

"The offense picked me up. Bullpen pitched well, too," Kendrick said. "That was big – big for us."

Both the game-tying and game-winning hits came off Lopez, the former Houston Astros reliever who very nearly became a Phillie before failing a physical to nix a November trade. Lopez has given up 44 hits this season, more than any other major league reliever.

When the Lopez deal fell through last winter, the Phils moved their attention to Mike Adams to fill their eighth-inning bullpen job. Last night, Adams, who has struggled with both health and effectiveness this season, was called to pitch in back-to-back nights for the first time since May 7-8.

Like Jeremy Horst, Stutes, Diekman and Justin De Fratus before him, Adams threw a zero onto the scoreboard.

Jonathan Papelbon finished the night off by recording his 13th save in as many chances this season. Dating back to last season, Papelbon has converted 18 straight save opportunities.

"That's how you grow, how you build on that," Manuel said. "Tonight was good for our bullpen. This is how you get more consistent. This is what it's going to take."

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