PHILLIES NEWS

The Phils stayed hot tonight as they welcomed the San Fransisco Giants and old friend Aaron Rowand to the Bank for a 3 game set. Kyle Kendrick got the start, and produced a solid effort allowing just 3 runs on 8 hits in 6 innings of work. Still a late rally nearly made Rowand the hero against his old team, before some Phils extra inning magic helped them prevail. Now onto the game. In the bottom of the first inning Chase Utley slammed a 2 run homer as the Phils jumped out to a 2-0 lead. In the top of the 4th, Jose Castillo plated Rowand with a two out single to cut the lead to 2-1. In the bottom of the inning ex-Giant Pedro Feliz slapped a 2 run homer for a 4-1 Phils lead. In the top of the 7th, Ray Durham knocked in a couple runs with a bases loaded single and a couple batters later, Eugenio Velez scored on a fielder's choice, and just like that it was all tied up at 4. From there neither team could score in the final innings and the game went into extra innings. There, in the top of the 10th, Rowand nearly became a hero crushing a solo homer to put the Giants up 5-4. Finally in the bottom of the 9th, Utley slinged a one out single to right field, and after Ryan Howard struck out and was ejected, Pat Burrell stepped to the plate with a chance to be a hero. After working the count to 3-0, he got 3 straight fastballs to hit. He just missed crushing the first two , but he was right on the money with the 3rd, depositing it in the seats in left field and setting off the hometown celebration as the Phils walked off with the win 6-5. So the Phils improve to 17-13 overall and remain in first place in the NL East.