Carlos Ruiz leads Phillies past Rockies 9-5

[May 11, 2010]  DENVER (AP) -- Carlos Ruiz had four hits, including a homer in the sixth inning and a tiebreaking single off Manny Corpas in the ninth that sent the Philadelphia Phillies past the mistake-prone Colorado Rockies 9-5 Monday night.

Ruiz's third single scored Ryan Howard from second. Howard was plunked by an 0-2 fastball from Corpas leading off the ninth and went to second one out later on a wild pitch by Corpas.

Pinch hitter Ross Gload then sent a 3-1 delivery from Corpas into the bullpen beyond the right-field wall for a three-run homer that made it 9-5 and sent the shivering crowd streaming to the exits.

The four-run rally off Corpas (1-2) made a winner of Danys Baez (1-1), who threw a scoreless eighth. Jose Contreras got the final three outs.

Shane Victorino had three walks and two triples for the Phillies, who improved to an NL-best 10-6 on the road in their first trip to Coors Field since beating the Rockies in the playoffs last fall.

The ninth-inning meltdown, shaky defense and poor pitching ruined a breakout game for Colorado's Jason Giambi, who had three hits, three RBIs and narrowly missed homering twice.

Colorado manager Jim Tracy had more of an admonition than a premonition regarding Giambi, his scuffling pinch-hitter who made the most of a rare start at first base, driving in three runs with two singles and a sacrifice fly before doubling off the wall in the ninth.

Giambi entered just 2 for 22, but Tracy noted that most of those at-bats came sporadically and against some of the game's top closers. In an impassioned defense of his backup first baseman before the game, Tracy said he had faith in the 38-year-old veteran and was irked by questions that seemed to suggest Giambi might be finished.

"Knowing the reputation and the resume of the player, he's one swing away from being hotter than hell," Tracy declared.

That swing came in the first inning when Giambi, batting cleanup, lined a pitch from right-hander Kyle Kendrick into right field, scoring Seth Smith from second base and tying the game at 1.

Giambi added a sacrifice fly in the third to break a 1-all tie and a broken-bat bloop single off lefty J.C. Romero in the seventh that erased a 5-4 deficit.

Giambi hit into a double play in the fifth but not before sending a mammoth fly down the right-field line that hooked foul.

David Herndon then came in rescued the Phillies with the help of second baseman Chase Utley, who snared Melvin Mora's grounder up the middle to save a run and start an inning-ending double play.

Tracy juggled his lineup with shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (quadriceps) hurt, outfielder Carlos Gonzalez out of the country to attend a funeral and slumping slugger Todd Helton getting the night off for a mental break.

Tulowitzki got good news before the game when an MRI showed a strained thigh muscle but nothing that will need extended rest.

Rockies left-hander Greg Smith appeared to get out of a jam in the fifth when he induced what looked like an inning-ending double-play grounder from Howard. But Mora, playing second base with Clint Barmes at shortstop in place of Tulowitzki, dropped the flip from Barmes after getting the force, allowing Howard to reach first safely.

Jayson Werth followed with a double down the left-field line and Howard scored an unearned run from first when Seth Smith let the ball scoot under his glove for an error, putting the Phillies ahead 3-2.

Smith led off the fifth with a triple and scored on Kendrick's balk, tying it at 3. Dexter Fowler went to second on the play and scored on Brad Hawpe's single.

Ruiz led off the sixth with his second homer, tying it at 4, and Victorino's second triple of the night chased Greg Smith. Matt Daley's wild pitch sent Victorino sprinting home to put the Phillies ahead 5-4.

NOTES: Injured Colorado closer Huston Street threw a bullpen session. Left-hander Jeff Francis will have his second rehab start at Double-A Tulsa on Tuesday night. ... Tracy said Jason Hammel will start Wednesday. He's been on the disabled list with a strained right groin.

[Associated Press; By ARNIE STAPLETON]

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