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Phillies outslug Rockies, avoid sweep

Apr 21, 2014 - 6:06 AM Denver, CO (SportsNetwork.com) - Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard both went yard, while Howard finished a double shy of the cycle to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 10-9 win over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday in the finale of a three-game set from Coors Field.

Howard went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBI while Rollins had three hits, two runs and two RBI to help the Phillies take it after dropping the first two games in this series. Ben Revere and Marlon Byrd each added two hits in the triumph.

The Phillies put two runs across in the top of the eighth against Matt Belisle (0-2) to break an 8-8 tie. Freddy Galvis got things going with a single to center and Revere advanced him with a one-out single to left. Rollins then stepped up and delivered with an RBI single, plating Galvis, and Revere scored on Chase Utley's groundout to shortstop.

Charlie Blackmon got a run back for the Rockies in the home half with a solo homer to right-center off Antonio Bastardo, but Jonathan Papelbon shut the door in the ninth to earn his fifth save of the season.

"It was well overdue," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "Just some good at-bats. Howard really broke out in a good way. It was good to see that good contact. Hitting balls to left centerfield is a good thing for him. He broke out in a big way."

Justin Morneau also homered for Colorado, finishing with five runs batted in while Troy Tulowitzki had three hits, two runs and an RBI in the setback. The Rockies saw their brief three-game winning streak come to an end.

Rollins' first inning home run broke a string of 37 innings for the Phillies without an extra-base hit. Colorado got the run back in the home half on Morneau's RBI single to center.

Utley doubled with two outs in the third, setting up Howard's opposite field blast to left for a 3-1 Phillies margin.

The Rockies answered with five runs over the next three innings. Tulowitzki's one-out double to left plated Blackmon in the bottom of the third, and one batter later Carlos Gonzalez scampered home on a Morneau groundout to tie it. Nolan Arenado's single brought Tulowitzki around to give the Rockies the lead.

Brandon Barnes, who had three hits, singled and stole second to start the fifth. Gonzalez doubled him in and scored two batters later on Morneau's sacrifice fly to center.

The Phillies trailed 6-3 through five innings but rallied to go in front, putting two runs across in the sixth and three more in the seventh.

Howard tripled to start the sixth and scored on Byrd's single to center, chasing Rockies starter Juan Nicasio from the contest. Nicasio went five-plus innings, allowing five runs -- four earned -- on seven hits.

Dom Brown kept the rally going against Rex Brothers with a single, both runners moved up on a passed ball and Galvis plated Byrd with his sacrifice fly to center.

Utley tied it with his sac fly in the top of the seventh and Howard put the visitors on top with an RBI single to right. Howard moved to second on Barnes' error in right and came around to score on Brown's sacrifice to left.

After going the first 17 games of the season without a sacrifice fly, the Phillies had three in a two-inning stretch on Sunday. They were the last team in baseball to record one.

Morneau erased Philly's lead, taking a 1-2 Jake Diekman (2-1) offering over the wall in right to tie the score at 8-8.

"That was a big homer off a really tough lefty in Diekman. A huge home run for us," said Rockies manager Walt Weiss. "Unfortunately we came up short, but we battled back a couple times. Both teams battled all day. It's a tough game, but the guys fought hard."

Game Notes

Phillies starter Roberto Hernandez allowed six runs on nine hits over four- plus frames ... Howard's last four-hit game came on July 30, 2011 ... The Phillies hit 4-for-14 with runners in scoring position, while Colorado went 6- for-17 ... Both teams had 15 hits.