Rollins homers in Phillies' 11-6 beats the Red Sox

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jimmy Rollins homered as part of a six-run seventh inning to help the Philadelphia Phillies bust the game open late, avoid a three-game sweep and beat the Boston Red Sox 11-6 on Sunday.

Rollins led off the seventh with a tiebreaking home run off Josh Beckett (7-3) that helped turn this one into a rout. Pedro Feliz added a two-RBI double, and Rollins was hit with a pitch and the bases loaded to make it 10-5.

Rollins had three RBIs to salvage the finale and help the Phillies improve to 13-16 at home.

Chan Ho Park (3-1) earned the win in relief.

Beckett failed to hold an early 4-1 lead, then tied the game at five when he hit a solo home run in the sixth. Rocco Baldelli and Nick Green also homered for the Red Sox.

Beckett and two Red Sox relievers completely unraveled in the seventh that led to the end of their five-game winning streak. Beckett surrendered the lead on Rollins' fifth homer of the season. Daniel Bard gave up doubles to Jayson Werth and Feliz. Takashi Saito followed and plunked Rollins, then walked Shane Victorino with the bases loaded for an 11-5 lead.

Park allowed only one unearned run in 2 1-3 innings and Ryan Madson worked the ninth in another busy day for the Phillies bullpen.

J.A. Happ failed to pitch out of the sixth and threw 108 pitches before yielding to Park in a game where the Phillies could have used a long outing from the lefty.

Phillies relievers pitched a combined 16 innings over three straight extra-inning games last week, then tossed another eight on Saturday.

A day off on Monday should give the bullpen a needed break. They can celebrate later Sunday night when the reality TV show "The Pen" debuts on the MLB Network. The show gives an inside look at the Phillies bullpen since spring training.

Happ appeared to catch a break when Red Sox manager Terry Francona shuffled the lineup and kept out some of his regulars. Because of slumps, the National League park or needed rest, Dustin Pedroia, Jason Varitek, J.D. Drew and David Ortiz all were absent from the starting lineup.

Ortiz drew a pinch-hit walk in the eighth and Pedroia was on deck when the game ended.

Raul Ibanez had the day off for the Phillies.

Staked to a 4-1 lead in the fifth, Beckett faltered and the Phillies took the lead. Ryan Howard did the most damage when he ripped a two-RBI double into the right-field corner that made it 5-4.

Beckett tied the game at 5 when he lined his third career homer in the sixth into the left field seats. Beckett's last home run also came at Citizens Bank Park — he homered off righty Brett Myers on May 20, 2006.

Happ had trouble keeping the ball inside the cozy park. Baldelli and Green hit consecutive homers into the left field seats, their third for each, in the second inning for a 2-1 lead. Jacoby Ellsbury added a sacrifice fly later in the innings and Jason Bay drove in AL-best 61st run on a single to center that put the Red Sox ahead 4-1.

The Red Sox left the bases loaded against Happ in third and continued to make the lefty labor through his fifth start of the season.

Park, who opened the season as the Phillies No. 5 starter, kept the Red Sox in check and allowed only an unearned run in the eighth that made it 11-6.

NOTES: Francona said he is close to making a decision on where to pitch RHP John Smoltz. Smoltz, making his way back from shoulder surgery, will pitch Thursday against the Florida Marlins or make another rehabilitation assignment for Triple-A Pawtucket. ... The Phillies optioned LHP Sergio Escalona to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and recalled RHP Tyler Walker.



by the associated press