Phillies cool off Rockies

DENVER – Brad Lidge said many times in September that he expected playoff success to redeem his season, to render irrelevant the sour memories of his 11 blown saves.

However unlikely that claim sounded, Lidge’s prediction seemed wise Sunday night. He saved a tense, cold 6-5 win over Colorado in Game 3 of the National League division series, giving the Phillies a 2-1 series lead. The teams play Game 4 today at 3:07 p.m., when a Phillies win would clinch a berth in the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

At 11:14 p.m. Pacific time, Lidge induced a Troy Tulowitzki pop-up with two on in the ninth inning. That preserved a run scored on Ryan Howard’s sacrifice fly in the top of the inning, and enabled the Phils to capitalize on poor umpiring. Jimmy Rollins, who scored on Howard’s sacrifice, advanced to third when Chase Utley fouled a ball off his lower leg. Umpire Jerry Meals appeared not to see that, and Utley was awarded an infield single.

The 34.5-degree temperature at first pitch, which dropped as the night progressed, matched the record for coldest-ever postseason game. Game 4 of the 1997 World Series, played in Cleveland between the Indians and Florida Marlins, was 35 degrees. (Phillies manager Charlie Manuel was the Cleveland hitting coach that night.)

From the beginning, it was not a memorable night for the starting pitchers. Both J.A. Happ and Jason Hammel battled command issues likely related to the extreme weather. Utley gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead in the first when he whacked a fastball over the fence in right-center field. It was his first home run of the series.

Handed the early lead, Happ began by allowing two singles and a run-scoring fielder’s choice by Todd Helton. He briefly recovered his fastball for a strikeout, getting Yorvit Torrealba to chase one that rose high and inside. But he allowed two more singles and one more run in the inning as the Rockies took a 2-1 lead.

Still struggling with his command, Happ allowed another run in the third. He issued a leadoff walk to Helton, who scored on Garrett Atkins’ two-out double to make it 3-1 Rockies.

Facing Hammel, the Phillies’ offense went flat for two innings after Utley’s home run, but ended his night with a three-run fourth. Shane Victorino led it off with a walk, and Utley and Howard followed with consecutive singles, bringing the Phils to within a run at 3-2.

Hammel then walked Jayson Werth to load the bases, and Raul Ibanez to tie the game. Pedro Feliz grounded into a double play. But Feliz’s good friend Carlos Ruiz partially redeemed the inning, finishing an impressive eight-pitch at-bat by singling in the go-ahead run.

Manuel lifted Happ for a pinch hitter in that inning. But despite his issues, Happ left with his team in the lead.

That situation, however, was short-lived. Joe Blanton relived Happ and allowed a long home run to Carlos Gonzalez in the bottom of the inning, tying the score at 4.

With the temperature dropping and pitchers struggling, the Phils reclaimed the lead in the sixth off reliever Jose Contreras. With his second key at-bat in as many tries, Ruiz drove in Ibanez to make it 5-4.

With the Phillies still leading by one, Scott Eyre allowed a leadoff double to Gonzalez to begin the seventh. When the next batter, Dexter Fowler, bunted in front of the mound, Eyre rolled his ankle trying to field it.

That injury brought Ryan Madson into the game. Entering with runners on first and third with one out, Madson struck out two but lost the lead on a sacrifice fly by Tulowitzki.