CINCINNATI (AP) — Jay Bruce hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning off Roy Halladay, rallying the Cincinnati Reds to yet another win in their final at-bat Wednesday, 4-3 over the Philadelphia Phillies.
Joey Votto also homered off Halladay (9-7), who fell to 2-4 since his perfect game on May 29.
Jonny Gomes opened the eighth with a single, and Bruce connected for Cincinnati's 25th comeback win — most in the majors. The Reds have 14 wins in their last at-bat, tied for the major league lead.
Arthur Rhodes (3-2) pitched a perfect inning, recovering from his 10th-inning loss a few hours earlier. Francisco Cordero pitched the ninth for his 21st save in 26 tries.
It was a lousy series for the Phillies, who lost two key players to injuries and two of the three games. Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel also was ejected from a game for arguing balls and strikes.
The defending NL champs put second baseman Chase Utley and third baseman Placido Polanco on the disabled list Tuesday. Utley has a sprained right thumb, Polanco a chronically sore left elbow. Both were back in Philadelphia getting more tests.
The Phillies' fill-ins have kept them in games. Brian Schneider and Wilson Valdez hit three-run homers during a 9-6, 10-inning win on Tuesday night, when Philadelphia ended Rhodes' record-tying streak of 33 scoreless appearances.
They were in position for another improbable win after reserve catcher Dane Sardinha hit a three-run homer — only the second of his career — off Aaron Harang.
Joey Votto led off the sixth with a homer, his second in two games. Orlando Cabrera's RBI single cut it to 3-2 in the seventh, and Bruce put Cincinnati ahead with his 10th homer.
Halladay gave up a season-high 13 hits and struck out 10 in eight innings, throwing 119 pitches.
Sardinha connected with two outs in the fourth and Halladay on deck, hitting the first pitch several rows deep into the seats in left field. Sardinha, a .137 career hitter, hit his first career homer last week in an interleague game against Cleveland — Ohio's other major league team.
NOTES: Sardinha has three hits since his June 19 promotion, two of them homers. He was a second-round draft pick by the Reds in 2000 and appeared in two career games for Cincinnati, going 0 for 5. ... The Reds plan to call up LHP Travis Wood from Triple-A Louisville for his big-league debut on Thursday at the Chicago Cubs. Wood lost the competition for the fifth starter's spot to RHP Mike Leake during spring training. ... LHP Aroldis Chapman gave up four runs, hit two batters and threw two wild pitches in 1 2-3 innings in relief for Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday night. The Reds want to see whether the Cuban defector could help them as a reliever after the All-Star break.
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