PHILLIES NEWS

It was a long night for the Phils last night. It started with Cole Hamels' much awaited return to the starting rotation, and ended 14 innings later with a determined triumph. In the interest of keeping him healthy, Hamels only went 3 innings allowing 3 runs on 5 hits. So it was the Cardinals who lead early 3-1. The Phils finally found their back into it in the 6th inning, as Jayson Werth tripled in a run and scored on a sac fly to tie it up at 3. With the two teams thoroughly exhausting their bullpens, it stayed that way into the top of the 10th inning. There, Pat Burrell slapped a one out single, and was promptly taken out for pinch runner, Micheal Bourn, who later scored on a fielder's choice after the Phils had loaded the bases. Both Werth and Carlos Ruiz had a chance to give the Phils some insurance as the bases remained loaded, but they were retired to end the inning. Thus, Brett Myers had only a 1 run lead to sustain when he entered the game in the bottom of the inning. Unfortunately, he could not hold off the desperate Cardinals, as Aaron Miles bounced a single over the head of Abraham Nunez, and scored on a sac fly to tie it up again at 4, ironically, it was the 1st run the Phils bullpen had given up all day. Somehow, as the Phils squandered more opportunities, Myers and Jose Mesa got through the next 3 innings. Finally, in the 14th the Phils got their lead back. Rod Barajas, the last man on the Phils bench, slapped a two out RBI single to put the Phils up 5-4. Then Werth tripled for the 2nd time on the night, for a couple of insurance runs, and a 7-4 Phils lead. It would be all they would need, as Clay Condrey retired the side in the bottom of the 14th, to give the Phils the win. So the Phils improve to 82-69, now just 1.5 games behind the Mets in the NL East, and still 1.5 games behind the Padres in the wildcard. Thus, life remains beautiful.