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Rollins, Rowand help Lohse to first win as Phillie

Aug 9, 2007 - 4:13 AM By Vince DiGregorio PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Kyle Lohse was able to help his own cause, while Dontrelle Willis was unable to get out of his own way.

Lohse worked into the seventh inning and added an RBI single and Aaron Rowand hit a key two-run homer to lift the Philadelphia Phillies to a 6-4 win over the Florida Marlins on Wednesday.

Jimmy Rollins also drove in two runs for Philadelphia, which won its fifth straight home game and 10th in the last 12 at Citizens Bank Park.

Lohse (7-12) won his first game as a Phillie after leaving his first start with the club against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday after just one inning due to a bruised forearm. The righthander lasted 6 1/3 innings in this one, allowing four runs and six hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

"As long as you're out there in the seventh inning, I think you've kind of done your job," Lohse said. "That's the main thing. I just want to go out there and give the team strong starts. Tonight was good enough."

Lohse also contributed in other ways, delivering a run-scoring single during a three-run third inning and making a diving stop on a comebacker to end the fifth.

"I kind of pride myself on being fundamentally sound," Lohse said.

Conversely, Willis (7-12) suffered his ninth consecutive defeat and has not won in 13 starts dating to May 29. He threw 115 pitches in 5 1/3 innings, surrendering five runs - four earned - and nine hits.

"There are some guys that you go up there and you hope to come away with something," Rollins said. "(Willis) is definitely one of those guys, but we were able to pick (his pitches) up tonight."

Willis also had control problems, walking three, hitting two batters and uncorking a wild pitch during an intentional walk. The lefthander also committed a pair of errors.

"A couple of infield choppers, he didn't help himself making some plays," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He's pitched better than the nine losses. He's a tough guy and we'll run him back out there in five days."

The Phillies were clinging to a 4-3 lead in the sixth when Justin Miller replaced Willis with a runner on first and one out. Rowand drove Miller's second pitch over the right-center field wall for a two-run blast, providing a 6-3 advantage.

After the Marlins pulled to within 6-4 on an RBI groundout by pinch hitter Jason Wood, relievers Antonio Alfonseca, Tom Gordon and Brett Myers closed the door, with Myers notching his eighth save.

Willis labored from the outset. With one out in the first inning, he threw wildly past first on Tadahito Iguchi's infield single, then walked the next two batters to load the bases. However, he got the next two outs to escape unscathed.

In the second, Willis committed his second error of the game. With one out, he bobbled Lohse's sacrifice, then threw wildly past first again to put runners on the corners.

"I did not field the ball well at all, to be totally honest," Willis said. "I tried to make a throw. I wouldn't change it. I try to make plays. You never want to be passive. You want to stay aggressive."

This time, the Phillies took advantage as Rollins followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0.

Willis atoned for his miscues in the third. After Alejandro De Aza reached on a one-out, ground-rule double, Willis lined a 1-1 pitch into the right field seats for a two-run homer that put Florida ahead. The blast was the seventh of Willis' career.

"I just kind of closed my eyes and ran into that (pitch)," Willis said. "(Lohse) was able to do the same thing and get a timely base hit for his ballclub as well."

The lefthander continued to struggle, however, as he gave up a double and a single in the third to put runners on first and third with one out. Carlos Ruiz tied the contest with an RBI groundout.

The Marlins then elected to walk Abraham Nunez intentionally, but Willis uncorked a wild pitch on the first offering before completing the intentional pass to put runners on first and third. The strategy ultimately backfired as Lohse and Rollins hit consecutive RBI singles to make it 4-2.

"I had to get even (after Willis' homer)," Lohse said. "It wasn't exactly even, but I got the job done. It was a good situation to come through there."

Miguel Cabrera led off the fourth with his 28th home run to cut the deficit to 4-3.