Phillies 5 - 3 Cardinals
Final/10
  for this game

Pence delivers late, Phillies top Cardinals in extras

May 26, 2012 - 7:51 AM

Video

St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Cliff Lee remains winless, but Hunter Pence smacked a go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the 10th inning, lifting the Philadelphia Phillies to a 5-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in the second installment of a four-game series.

Lee, who hasn't registered a win in seven starts, fanned seven and surrendered three runs on eight hits and three walks in seven innings. He is 0-2, but maintains a sparkling 2.82 ERA. Offensive ineptitude has hurt Lee as the Phillies have recorded just 12 total runs while Lee is in the game.

"Wins and losses are something that you really can't control sometimes," Lee said. "...My job is to get deep in the game and give the team a chance to win."

Jonathan Papelbon notched his 14th save in as many opportunities with a 1-2-3 10th frame for Philadelphia, which has won three straight on the heels of a four-game losing streak.

Rafael Furcal hit a solo shot for the Cardinals, who have lost six of their last nine contests.

A stellar defensive play by the Phillies kept the game tied at 3-3 in the eighth frame. After Yadier Molina reached on a two-out single, Matt Adams shot a double into the right-center field gap.

Shane Victorino chased the ball down at the wall and hit Freddy Galvis with a perfect relay throw, who threw a strike at home. Hustling around third, the slow-footed Molina bulled over Carlos Ruiz at home, who took the blow and held on to the ball for the out.

"It was a great relay and he got a good jump...they did what they needed to do on the defensive side," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said of the play.

Raul Valdes (2-0) escaped the ninth inning unscathed to pick up the win. With runners on first and second and one away, he struck out Tyler Greene and Matt Holliday to end the frame.

With the contest knotted in the 10th frame, Juan Pierre started it with a single off Jason Motte (3-2). Pence stepped up next and roped an opposite- field blast that just cleared the wall in right for a 5-3 Phillies advantage.

Earlier, Philadelphia struck first with a two-run second inning. Jimmy Rollins slapped an RBI single to right and Galvis scored from third when Adams committed a fielding error on Pierre's ground ball to first.

The Cardinals, though, responded with a run in three straight innings from the second to take the lead.

Back-to-back doubles by Adams and Shane Robinson made it 2-1 in the second before Furcal tied the contest in the third after lacing a solo shot that just cleared the wall in left.

David Freese launched a leadoff triple to center in the fourth and Molina followed by smacking a single up the middle for a 3-2 Cardinals advantage.

Philadelphia tied the game in the seventh inning on Pierre's RBI double.

Game Notes

The Phillies were 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position, while the Cardinals were 2-for-7...Pence's homer was his 11th of the season...Valdes hasn't allowed a run in 6 1/3 innings this year...Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman is expected to be sidelined for 8-to-10 weeks after undergoing surgery Friday to have meniscus and cartilage tears in his right knee repaired.






Related News