Oct 12, 2009 - 12:51 AM
0 shoutsBy PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writer
DENVER(AP) -- Carlos Ruiz quieted the cold Coors Field crowd with two RBI singles, staking the Philadelphia Phillies to a 5-4 lead over the Colorado Rockies through six innings in Game 3 of the NL division series Sunday night.
Ruiz had an RBI single up the middle in the sixth. The catcher also added a two-out, RBI hit as part of a three-run fourth inning that chased Rockies starter Jason Hammel from the game.
The gametime temperature was 35 degrees at first pitch, tying the record for the coldest postseason baseball game on record. The mark is shared with Cleveland and Florida, who played Game 4 of the 1997 World Series in 35-degree weather as well.
The Phillies took advantage of Jose Contreras' inability to locate the strike zone in the sixth. Raul Ibanez and Pedro Feliz drew walks, setting the stage for Ruiz's RBI single.
Ruiz hit .355 for the Phillies over the final 24 games of the regular season.
Carlos Gonzalez hit a solo homer in the fourth - tying the game at 4 - while Garrett Atkins had an RBI single in the first to go with a run-scoring double in the third.
Both starters were out early in this frigid game.
Rookie J.A. Happ lasted three innings, giving up three runs and five hits. The lefty labored through a 35-pitch inning to start the game as the Rockies scored twice.
Hammel was cruising along until the Phillies strung together three singles and three walks in the fourth. Ryan Howard had an RBI single, while Ibanez walked to force in another run.
After Ruiz's two-out single to left, the Rockies pulled Hammel.
The righty went 3 2-3 innings and allowed four hits. Hammel gave up a solo homer to Chase Utley in the first before retiring the next seven batters, four of them by strikeout.
Atkins' two-out double to deep center in the third scored Todd Helton, who led off the inning with a walk.
The Rockies also scored twice in the first when Gonzalez and Dexter Fowler led off with singles. Helton brought in Gonzalez on a fielder's choice.
With two outs, Atkins then singled in Helton.
Atkins was in the lineup because the Phillies scrapped their plans of starting Pedro Martinez in favor of the left-handed Happ. Ian Stewart usually plays third when a righty is on the mound.
The players were dressed in layers on this bone-chilling night, blowing on their hands to keep warm. Jimmy Rollins danced around at short. He also wore a cap underneath his hat to cover his ears.
As bitter as it was, the weather could've been worse.
Gone were the snow flurries and freezing drizzle that blew through the Mile High City on Saturday, bringing frigid temperatures and leading to Game 3 being pushed back a night. The series is tied at one game each.
Philadelphia and Colorado will play Game 4 on Monday afternoon, with Cliff Lee and Ubaldo Jimenez taking the hill. It's a rematch of Game 1, where Lee handcuffed the Rockies in a 5-1 win.
