Phillies Top The Rockies

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – A lineup change might have been what the Philadelphia Phillies needed to revive their struggling offense.

Bobby Abreu`s bases-loaded walk forced in the go-ahead run, and Travis Lee added a two-run homer as the Phillies beat the Colorado Rockies 7-5 Thursday.

Doug Glanville, dropped from the leadoff spot to No. 7 before the game, had two RBI, and Mike Lieberthal had three hits and scored three runs as the Phillies improved to 16-11.

"I was right in the thick of things," said Glanville, who batted lower than second just once before in nearly 600 starts. "I was aggressive. It worked."

Philadelphia, which tied the Chicago Cubs for worst record in the majors last year, is in first place in the NL East this late in the season for the first time since 1995.

The Phillies are winning even though most of the hitters are slumping. Philadelphia doesn`t have a player among the leaders in any offensive categories.

Amaury Telemaco (3-0) allowed two runs and six hits in five innings. He struck out four, walked three and constantly pitched out of trouble.

"Anytime you can pitch and get a win when you don`t have your best stuff is a plus," Telemaco said.

Rockies starter Pedro Astacio (3-2) didn`t allow a hit in the first four innings, but couldn`t get out of the fifth. He allowed three runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings.

The Phillies got four straight hits to open the fifth, starting with Lieberthal`s double.

After Lee singled, Glanville cut it to 2-1 with an RBI single. Marlon Anderson reached first on a bunt hit that was supposed to be a sacrifice, and pinch-hitter Kevin Jordan tied it at 2 with an RBI single to right.

Larry Walker threw out Glanville at the plate on the hit. But Astacio walked Rob Ducey and Abreu on eight pitches, forcing in Anderson to make it 3-2.

"Astacio was cruising along and then he got wild in the strike zone," Rockies manager Buddy Bell said. "The story of the day is that collectively that`s the worst at-bats we`ve had all year. We let their guy off the hook several times. You can`t do that."

Glanville gave the Phillies a 4-2 lead on a sacrifice fly in the sixth off John Wasdin. Lee hit his homer in the eighth.

After homering just once in 180 at-bats with the Phillies last season, Lee has four in the last 12 games.

"It`s about time I hit one off a lefty," said Lee, who hadn`t homered against a left-hander since hitting one off Gil Heredia on June 7, 1999.

Glanville saved a run with a sliding catch on a two-out blooper by Juan Pierre with a runner on second in the sixth.

Chris Brock pitched the sixth, Rheal Cormier went 1 1/3 innings and Ricky Bottalico got two outs before giving way to Jose Mesa in the ninth.

Mesa allowed a two-out, three-run homer to Greg Norton, but retired Todd Hollandsworth for the final out.

"I see that happen a lot with closers when the game is out of hand," Phillies manager Larry Bowa said. "He pitched twice in the last 11 days. I probably wouldn`t have pitched him if he wasn`t so idle."

Neifi Perez gave Colorado a 1-0 lead in the second on a ground-rule double that scored Hollandsworth, and Greg Norton`s RBI double made it 2-0 in the third. Telemaco escaped further trouble by striking out Hollandsworth and getting Perez on a grounder to short with runners on second and third.

"We just couldn`t get the big hit or sacrifice fly," Pierre said. "Astacio should`ve had four or five more runs."

Game notes:
Hollandsworth extended his hitting streak to 16 games. ... Walker walked four times to tie a Rockies single-game record. It was done three other times. ... Jordan is 5-for-8 with five RBI as a pinch-hitter. He was 4-for-24 all of last year. ... Lieberthal was 9-for-16 off Astacio before breaking up the no-hitter in the fifth.

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Author: 6 ABC - Action News (AP)