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Rollins homers in Phillies' 11-6 win over Red Sox

Jun 14, 2009 - 10:22 PM By DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA(AP) -- Jimmy Rollins is starting to feel like his old J-Roll self.

The former MVP mired in a season-long slump believes the tiebreaking home run he hit to lift the Philadelphia Phillies to an 11-6 win over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday could be the hit that sparks his season and back into All-Star form.

"The last few days I've been feeling pretty close to the way I felt at the start of 2007," Rollins said. "The stance, where my hands are going to the ball, the way I'm seeing the ball."

His fifth homer of the year, and first in 98 at-bats, came as part of a six-run seventh inning that helped the Phillies bust the game open late and avoid a three-game sweep against the AL East-leading Red Sox.

"All I have to do is continue to put good swings on the ball," Rollins said. "They find some leather, that's bad. They find some grass, that's good."

He found the seats with his solo shot off Josh Beckett (7-3) in the seventh. Pedro Feliz added a two-RBI double, and Rollins was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 10-5.

Rollins, still batting only .217, had three RBIs to salvage the finale and help the Phillies improve to 13-16 at home.

"When he gets going, he's going to be a guy that we definitely need," outfielder Shane Victorino said.

Chan Ho Park (3-1) earned the win in relief.

Beckett failed to hold an early 4-1 lead, then tied the game at five when he hit a solo home run in the sixth. Rocco Baldelli and Nick Green also homered for the Red Sox.

Beckett and two Red Sox relievers completely unraveled in the seventh that led to the end of their five-game winning streak. Beckett surrendered the lead on Rollins' fifth homer of the season. Daniel Bard gave up doubles to Jayson Werth and Feliz. Takashi Saito followed and plunked Rollins, then walked Victorino with the bases loaded for an 11-5 lead.

"When you give the opportunities to a lineup like that, you can get hurt," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "That was a rough inning."

Park, who complained of a sore elbow on Saturday, allowed only one unearned run in 2 1-3 innings and Ryan Madson worked the ninth in another busy day for the Phillies bullpen.

J.A. Happ failed to pitch out of the sixth and threw 108 pitches before yielding to Park in a game where the Phillies could have used a longer outing from the lefty.

Phillies relievers pitched a combined 16 innings over three straight extra-inning games last week, then tossed another eight on Saturday.

Happ appeared to catch a break when Francona shuffled the lineup and kept out some of his regulars. Because of slumps, the National League park or needed rest, Dustin Pedroia, Jason Varitek, J.D. Drew and David Ortiz all were absent from the starting lineup.

Ortiz drew a pinch-hit walk in the eighth and Pedroia was on deck when the game ended.

Raul Ibanez, who leads the NL with 59 RBIs, had the day off for the Phillies because of a sore left Achilles' tendon. Ibanez said a bad pair of spikes caused the soreness, but he insisted he was fine and will play Tuesday against Toronto.

Staked to a 4-1 lead in the fifth, Beckett faltered and the Phillies took the lead. Ryan Howard did the most damage when he ripped a two-RBI double into the right-field corner that made it 5-4.

"We were just able to get to him and get runs across," Howard said.

Beckett tied the game at 5 when he lined his third career homer in the sixth into the left field seats. Beckett's last home run also came at Citizens Bank Park - he homered off righty Brett Myers on May 20, 2006.

"I don't want to talk about that," Beckett said. "I just want to think about what helped us lose."

Happ had trouble keeping the ball inside the cozy park. Baldelli and Green hit consecutive homers into the left field seats, their third for each, in the second inning for a 2-1 lead. Jacoby Ellsbury added a sacrifice fly later in the innings and Jason Bay drove in AL-best 61st run on a single to center that put the Red Sox ahead 4-1.

NOTES: Francona said he is close to making a decision on where to pitch RHP John Smoltz. Smoltz, making his way back from shoulder surgery, will pitch Thursday against the Florida Marlins or make another rehabilitation assignment for Triple-A Pawtucket. ... The Phillies optioned LHP Sergio Escalona to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and recalled RHP Tyler Walker.