Matsui’s slam has Rockies rolling

Colorado’s 10-5 win has Philadelphia facing an 0-2 deficit.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Home or away, these Colorado Rockies are on quite a roll.

Kaz Matsui hit his first career grand slam and drove in five runs, leading the Rockies over the Philadelphia Phillies 10-5 Thursday for a 2-0 lead in their NL playoff series.

Matsui connected off scheduled Game 4 starter Kyle Lohse, rushed in to relieve struggling rookie Kyle Kendrick in the fourth inning.

At this rate, the best-of-five series may not get that far. Rookie Ubaldo Jimenez will try to pitch Colorado to a sweep Saturday night at Coors Field against veteran Jamie Moyer.

Making just the second postseason appearance in the franchise’s 15-year history, Colorado is on the verge of going to its first NL championship series. The wild-card Rockies posted their eighth straight road victory, and have won 16 of 17 overall.

“They’ve embraced the ride and they’re not taking anything for granted,” manager Clint Hurdle said.

More homers

Matsui fell a single short of the cycle, and Troy Tulowitzki and Matt Holliday homered on consecutive pitches in the first inning off Kendrick, who got a quick hook from manager Charlie Manuel.

The Phillies had a chance to make it interesting in the eighth, loading the bases with two outs.

But closer Manny Corpas came in and retired Carlos Ruiz on a bouncer to third. Corpas worked around a pair of two-out singles in a scoreless ninth for his second save in as many days.

Before the game, Corpas came under scrutiny because he was caught by TBS cameras on Wednesday taking a sip of a liquid out of a cup in the bullpen, then pouring some down the back of his neck and all over the front of his jersey. He was seen patting his chest and rubbing his fingers before throwing a pitch, but didn’t appear to do anything shady in this appearance.

Jimmy Rollins homered and drove in four runs and Ryan Howard also connected for Philadelphia, which ended a 14-year playoff drought by capturing the NL East title on the final day of the season.

Manuel under fire

But it’s been downhill for the Phillies since they followed a wild celebration Sunday with a pep rally at City Hall the next day.

The heavily criticized Manuel gave his critics plenty of ammunition with two questionable moves.

With the Phillies leading 3-2 in the fourth, Manuel pulled Kendrick after pinch-hitter Seth Smith’s infield single loaded the bases with two outs.

Manuel called on Lohse, who made two relief appearances on side days down the stretch. Lohse got ahead 1-2 on Matsui, before grooving a fastball. Matsui drove it into the right-field seats to give the Rockies a 6-3 lead and silence the largest crowd ever at four-year-old Citizens Bank Park.

“I don’t think it was a mistake,” Manuel said. “I liked Lohse on Matsui. He’s been pitching really good out of the bullpen, he has good stuff and I felt he was the right guy.”

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ROCKIES 10, PHILLIES 5

COLORADOPHILA

abrhbiabrhbi

KMtsui 2b5235Rollins ss5124

Corpas p0000Utley 2b5020

Tlowzki ss5121Burrell lf4010

Hlliday lf5122Howard 1b4121

Helton 1b5000Rwand cf4000

Atkins 3b5110Werth rf3000

Hawpe rf3110Helms 3b0100

Spbrgh cf3110Dobbs 3b2000

Speier p0000Iguchi ph0000

Fentes p0000Nunez 3b0000

Carroll 2b0000Ruiz c4110

Trralba c3212Kndrck p1000

Morles p1000Lohse p0000

Smith ph1110Bourn ph1000

Fogg p1000Mesa p0000

Affeldt p0000Cndry p0000

Sllivan cf1000Vctrno ph1110

Alfnsca p0000

Rmero p0000

Coste ph1000

Totals38101210Totals35595

Colorado200404000—10

Philadelphia120001100—5

E—Torrealba (1). DP—Philadelphia 1. LOB—Colorado 5, Philadelphia 8. 2B—KMatsui (1), Tulowitzki (1), Atkins (2), Torrealba (1), Ruiz (1). 3B—KMatsui (1), Rollins (1). HR—KMatsui (1), Tulowitzki (1), Holliday (2), Rollins (1), Howard (1). SB—Victorino (1).

IPHRERBBSO

Colorado

Morales333323

Fogg W,1-0210001

Affeldt111102

Speier1 1-311000

Fuentes1-310021

Corpas S,21 1-320001

Philadelphia

Kendrick L,0-13 2-355522

Lohse1 1-311101

Mesa1-313320

Condrey1 2-341102

Alfonseca110000

Romero100001

HBP—by Morales (Howard). WP—Fuentes. Umpires—Home, Jim Reynolds; First, Chuck Meriwether; Second, Jeff Kellogg; Third, Derryl Cousins; Left, Ed Hickox; Right, Dale Scott. T—3:32. A—45,991.