Phillies Bullpen Can't Close Out Minnesota
Delmon Young drove in the go-ahead run during a three-run 11th inning, as Minnesota rallied from a pair of five-run deficits to top Philadelphia, 13-10, in the middle contest of a three-game interleague set from Citizens Bank Park.
Matt Tolbert followed with a two-run double to add insurance for the Twins, who had lost two in a row including the series opener on Friday.
Joe Mauer hit a game-tying two-run homer as part of a five-run ninth inning for Minnesota, which got a two-run shot from Jim Thome along with a solo blast and three RBI from Justin Morneau.
Jon Rauch (2-1) surrendered a game-tying pinch-hit homer to Ross Gload in the 10th inning and was saddled with a blown save, but turned in a scoreless 11th for the win.
The win was a big pick-up for starter Kevin Slowey, who was tagged for seven hits and seven runs while recording only five outs.
Chase Utley finished with three hits and three RBI while Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez, Wilson Valdez and Jayson Werth went deep for the Phillies, who had won three in a row.
Danys Baez (2-3) was charged in the loss with two hits and three runs over the final Minnesota at-bat.
Starter Cole Hamels worked seven innings, yielding five hits and four runs (three earned) with seven strikeouts and two walks.
Baez walked Mauer with one out then Morneau was given a free pass before Rauch sacrificed both runners. Young's single to short brought in Mauer, then Tolbert drilled a double to left to score two more for a 13-10 game.
Rauch worked around a two-out double by Utley by striking out Howard to end the game.
Each side scored three times in the first inning. Minnesota opened up against Hamels with a two-run single from Morneau and an RBI double by Young, then Philly responded on Utley's two-run triple and a Werth sacrifice fly.
In the second, Valdez made it 4-3 when he snuck a solo shot inside the foul pole in left. Later in the frame with runners on second and third, an Utley liner to left made it a two-run game. Howard followed with a two-run blast to right and Slowey exited for Jeff Manship.
Ibanez led off the third with a blast to put the Phillies up 8-3, and Hamels retired 13 in a row until Morneau hit a ball into the right-field seats to start the sixth.
Werth's two-out solo shot in the seventh gave the home team a five-run edge, then J.C. Romero and Jose Contreras combined to close out the Twins in the eighth.
Thome's monster two-run shot to the bullpen in center off Contreras got Minnesota within 9-6, and when Nick Punto walked, closer Brad Lidge was summoned. Punto eventually moved to third and Denard Span scored him with a single. After Span swiped second and Orlando Hudson fanned, Mauer tied the game with a two-run homer to right-center.
Butera opened the 10th against Chad Durbin with a pinch-hit homer to left which gave the Twins a 10-9 advantage. After getting the next two batters, Punto and Jason Kubel both singled. Span then dribbled one up the middle that Utley stopped behind second and alertly threw home to nail Punto at the plate.
Gload then tied the game with two down in the bottom half on a line-drive homer just over the wall in right.
Game Notes
This was the highest-scoring game between the clubs, who have only met twice before since interleague play began in 1997...The previous high for runs was 17, in an 11-6 Phillies win in Minneapolis on June 11, 2004...Thome's homer was the 570th in his career, moving him into sole possession of 11th place on the all-time list ahead of Rafael Palmeiro...Prior to the game, the Twins recalled Manship from Triple-A Rochester and optioned infielder Trevor Plouffe to Rochester...Manship allowed two hits and a run in 4 1/3 innings of long relief...Also before the contest, the Phillies designated pitcher Scott Mathieson for assignment and recalled catcher Dane Sardinha from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
