Reds 5, Phillies 4
WP – Jonathan Broxton (3-3, 3.02)
LP – Jonathan Papelbon (3-5, 2.86)
SV – Aroldis Chapman (30)
PHILADELPHIA — It was Cincinnati that prevailed in the see-saw game.
A Zack Cozart solo home run to lead off the top of the 9th spoiled not one, but two comeback attempts by the Phillies. The bomb gave Cincinnati a 5-4 win over the Phillies Tuesday night on Hunter Pence bobblehead night.
It also erased a good outing by Cliff Lee, who couldn’t do all the work by himself and it eventually caught up to him in the 7th. While holding a 1-0 lead and already near the century mark in pitches heading into the 7th, Lee couldn’t finish the inning, giving up three runs in the inning.
Scott Rolen got the rally going in the 7th with his double in the gap. He scored on Ryan Hanigan’s RBI single to tie the game up, 1-1. Cozart gave the Reds the 2-1 lead with a sacrifice to center field and Drew Stubbs’ follow-up RBI single extended the lead, 3-1.
It ended Lee’s night with two outs in the 7th. He went 6 2/3, allowing three runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out nine in the no-decision.
Lee was in line for the loss but the Phillies were able to tie it up in the bottom of the 7th. After loading the bases, Jimmy Rollins hit a one-out two-run double to left field to tie the game up, 3-3.
The Reds retook the lead in the 8th inning. Todd Frazier, the Toms River, NJ native, took Antonio Bastardo’s 0-1 fastball deep to left center to give Cincinnati a 4-3 lead.
But the Phillies weren’t done answering back, and they did it in against Jonathan Broxton, who is all too familiar with late-game meltdowns against the Phillies.
With two outs in the 8th, Domonic Brown got the rally going with a single that ate up Brandon Phillips. Kevin Frandsen then roped a line drive down the line in right, scoring Brown. Frandsen, who was hustling all the way, chugged into third for the triple.
Lee was dominant through the first five innings, but ran into a bit of trouble in the 6th. With no outs and the bases loaded, third baseman Frandsen made a diving stop to his forehand, spun on his knee and three out Cozart at the plate to get the force out.
The very next hitter, Jay Bruce, hit an easy double-play ball to Chase Utley to end the scoring threat.
2B: Kratz (7), Rollins (27). 3B: Krandsen (1).
TTB 