Philadelphia, PA – Ty Wigginton capped a four-run ninth inning with a sacrifice fly, lifting the Philadelphia Phillies over the Milwaukee Brewers, 7-6, in the opener of a three-game series.
Francisco Rodriguez (2-5) loaded the bases with one out in the ninth. Ryan Howard stepped to the plate and hit a two-run single up the middle. Carlos Ruiz followed with an RBI single to left to tie the game. Hunter Pence walked to fill the bags, again. Wigginton followed with his sacrifice fly to left to plate pinch-runner Erik Kratz.
"What can I say? I didn't get it done. It's really painful," remarked Rodriguez. "I had a couple of chances to put hitters away and didn't do it. I can't tell you how badly I feel."
Chase Utley and Howard hit back-to-back solo homers in the first for the Phillies, who won back-to-back games at home for the first time since June 25- 26.
"It's good to see we can rally and come back," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "I think that's a good sign."
Philadelphia starter Roy Halladay allowed six runs on eight hits over six innings. Joe Savery (1-2) tossed a scoreless ninth to pick up his first win in the big leagues.
Carlos Gomez hit a three-run homer and scored three times for the Brewers, who have lost four in a row. Aramis Ramirez, Corey Hart and Ryan Braun added an RBI apiece.
Former Phillie Randy Wolf gave up two runs on five hits over six innings for Milwaukee. He struck out five and walked three.
Jimmy Rollins walked with one out in the ninth to start the comeback. Juan Pierre singled and Utley walked to load the bases for Howard.
Each team got on the board in the first inning. In the top half, Gomez was hit by a pitch, stole second and crossed the plate on Ramirez's double off the base of the wall in right. Hart followed with an RBI single to left.
The Phillies tied the game in the bottom half, but Shane Victorino hurt his right elbow. Victorino tried to hold up on a 3-2 pitch from Wolf. It appeared that Victorino was hit by the pitch, but it was ruled that he swung. Utley and Howard used back-to-back homers to make it 2-2.
Milwaukee took the lead in the third. Gomez singled, stole second and scored on Braun's single to right.
Gomez's homer in the fourth gave the Brewers a 6-2 lead. Wolf and Norichika Aoki singled with two outs. Gomez followed with a blast off the left-field foul pole.
The Phillies managed to get one run back in the seventh. Manny Parra walked Rollins, Pierre and Utley to load the bases with one out. Rollins crossed the plate on a passed ball. Howard struck out looking before John Axford came in from the bullpen. He got Ruiz looking at strike three to keep it 6-3.
Game Notes
The Phillies went 4-3 against the Brewers in 2011...Howard's homer in the first was initially ruled a double, but was overturned following a review... Halladay had three strikeouts and is now just one strikeout shy of 2,000 for his career...Rodriguez blew his fifth save of the season...Savery made his 18th appearance of the season.
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