Phils move ahead

DENVER – Jimmy Rollins scored on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Howard in the ninth inning and the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Colorado Rockies 6-5 in Game 3 of their National League division series on Sunday.

Carlos Ruiz quieted the cold Coors Field crowd with two RBI singles, staking the Phillies to a 5-4 lead over the Rockies through six innings.

Ruiz had an RBI single up the middle in the sixth. The catcher also added a two-out, RBI hit as part of a three-run fourth inning that chased Rockies starter Jason Hammel from the game.

The Phillies took advantage of Jose Contreras’ inability to locate the strike zone in the sixth. Raul Ibanez and Pedro Feliz drew walks, setting the stage for Ruiz’s RBI single.

Ruiz hit .355 for the Phillies over the final 24 games of the regular season.

Carlos Gonzalez hit a solo homer in the fourth — tying the game at 4 — while Garrett Atkins had an RBI single in the first to go with a run-scoring double in the third.

Both starters were out early in this frigid game.

Rookie J.A. Happ lasted three innings, giving up three runs and five hits. The lefty labored through a 35-pitch inning to start the game as the Rockies scored twice.

Hammel was cruising along until the Phillies strung together three singles and three walks in the fourth. Ryan Howard had an RBI single, while Ibanez walked to force in another run.

After Ruiz’s two-out single to left, the Rockies pulled Hammel.

The righty went 3 2-3 innings and allowed four hits. Hammel gave up a solo homer to Chase Utley in the first before retiring the next seven batters, four of them by strikeout.

Atkins’ two-out double to deep center in the third scored Todd Helton, who led off the inning with a walk.

The Rockies also scored twice in the first when Gonzalez and Dexter Fowler led off with singles. Helton brought in Gonzalez on a fielder’s choice.

With two outs, Atkins then singled in Helton.