Phils Snap Losing Streak, Beat Rockies

The Phillies got a much-needed win by beating the Rockies on Saturday, snapping a 5-game losing streak.

Jeremy Guthrie found his way back into the rotation. He's still trying to find his way into the win column.
 
Guthrie pitched into the fifth inning Saturday but four early runs, including a three-run home by Carlos Ruiz, led the Philadelphia Phillies to an 8-5 win over the Colorado Rockies.
 
“There are positives to build on,” Guthrie said. “You take what you can and go forward.”
 
The Rockies counted on Guthrie (3-9) to be a front line starter this year, but after a stint on the disabled list in early May he struggled. After he was reinstated on May 15 he went 1-5 in six starts before he was banished to the bullpen for three weeks.
 
He returned to the rotation against St. Louis on July 4 and pitched well enough to earn another start Saturday at Coors Field, where he has struggled.
 
The Phillies took advantage of him in the first inning, scoring four times and building a lead they never relinquished.
 
With one out, Shane Victorino doubled and scored on Chase Utley's single. Ryan Howard walked and Ruiz followed with a drive that cleared the fence in left-center for his 14th homer of the season.
 
“Got behind Ruiz and he took a good hack,” Guthrie said. “It came down to one pitch.”
 
Guthrie allowed four runs on seven hits, struck out three and walked two in 4 2-3 innings and failed to get his first win since May 31 against Houston.
 
“To Jeremy's credit he settled down and started getting the ball to the bottom part of the strike zone,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. “First inning, his pitches were not finishing, ball up in the strike zone and he got hurt.”
 
The Rockies closed the gap on two occasions but could never catch the Phillies.
 
With one out in the eighth, reliever Jake Diekman hit Tyler Colvin with a pitch and walked Jordan Pacheco. Brian Sanchez relieved and Wilin Rosario hit a three-run homer, pulling the Rockies to within 6-5.
 
“He tried to make a good pitch and I caught it on a good part of the bat,” Rosario said. “It wasn't like I was going to the plate looking for it.”
 
But All-Star closer Jonathan Papelbon came on to get Josh Rutledge on a grounder and struck out pinch-hitter Jason Giambi to end the eighth. The Phillies gave him some breathing room in the top of the ninth with Victorino's RBI triple and an RBI single by Utley, his third hit of the game.
 
Papelbon then closed out the game by retiring the top of the Rockies' order 1-2-3, pumping his fist when he fanned Carlos Gonzalez for the final out to make a winner of starter Vance Worley (5-5).
 
Worley, who got his first win since June 26, came through on the mound and the plate.
 
Worley wriggled out of a rocky fifth. Pinch-hitter Jonathan Hererra hit a one-out single to left, and after Dexter Fowler popped out, Marco Scutaro doubled. Gonzalez was intentionally walked to load the bases, bringing up Michael Cuddyer.
 
Cuddyer, who hit two grand slams earlier in the season, worked the count full before swinging and missing at a 90 mph fastball that Worley got past him to end the threat.
 
In the sixth, Worley delivered at the plate, driving in a pair of runs with two-out double. Juan Pierre began the rally with a two-out single and stole second. Mike Fontenot, who struck out in each of his first two at bats, was then walked intentionally to get to Worley, who drove reliever Adam Ottovino's offering into the right field corner for his second hit of the game.
 
He beat out an infield single in the second, tumbling to the ground in a heap after taking an awkward step as he crossed the bag and losing his balance. It was his first hit in 22 at bats this season.
 
“Sixth inning was tough to take,” Tracy said. “If we put Worley away, Betancourt's out there pitching in the ninth with a one-run lead.”


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