rockiesA relentless lineup from Philadelphia was due and determined to turn the tables, ultimately battling to a 10-9 victory to put the skids on the Rockies’ three-game winning streak and bring Colorado back to .500.

Morneau knocked in five runs on Sunday, including at least one in each of his first four trips to the plate. He drove in the tying run three times: in the first, third, and — with a two-run home run off southpaw Jake Diekman — the seventh.

“Mo’s pretty locked in right now,” manager Walt Weiss said. “That was a big homer off a really tough lefty in Diekman. A huge home run for us. Unfortunately we came up short, but we battled back a couple times. Both teams battled all day. It’s a tough game, but the guys fought hard.”

Morneau’s prowess didn’t keep the Phillies from pitching around Troy Tulowitzki in the eighth to face the first baseman again with the game on the line — the tying run on second — and left-hander Antonio Bastardo on the mound.

“That was Bastardo’s all the way,” manager Ryne Sandberg said of the decision. “Tulo, Morneau, pick your poison. But Tulo — one swing and he’s the tying run, even as the hitter. It worked out. But this is a special place where you have to do things a little different.”

Colorado pitching had been dominant through the first two games of the series, allowing neither an earned run nor even an extra-base hit Friday or Saturday. But Philadelphia put the kibosh on that stat right away Sunday as Jimmy Rollins went yard in the game’s first frame, sending a Juan Nicasio offering into the seats above the right field scoreboard for a solo homer and an early lead.

 

Source: MLB