Frosty Phillies grab series edge

DENVER (AP) — No blown save this time for Brad Lidge. Just another blown call by the umpires.

The Philadelphia Phillies took a 2-1 NL playoff series lead over the Colorado Rockies after Game 3’s 6-5 win that ended in the early morning hours Monday after a four-hour game played mostly with temperatures in the mid-20s.

Lidge, who struggled all season, recorded his first save since Sept. 20 when Troy Tulowitzki got underneath his last pitch and flied out to left.

Ryan Howard’s sacrifice fly off Huston Street in the top of the ninth broke a 5-5 tie but came after Chase Utley’s check-swing infield single that should have been ruled a foul ball because it hit him while he was in the batter’s box before rolling fair.

“The ball might have caught me,” Utley said. “Nobody said anything so I ran hard.”

Might have nothing, Street said.

“He told ’Tulo when he got to second it hit him,” Street said. “You can see on the replay it clearly hit him. It was a close play at first. On the replay Todd’s foot is pretty clearly on the base.

“I didn’t get too excited about it at the time because the game has to go on. You have to try to get out of the inning. That’s part of the game and you understand that, but tonight it was frustrating, especially when the fly ball [by Howard] would have been the third out.”

Crew chief Gerry Davis said blown calls like this one bother the umpires as much as they do everyone else.

“We’re judged not by excellence, but by perfection,” he said. “Our job is to get every call correct. That’s what we aspire to do. Perfection is very tough. That’s a tough aspiration.”

Home plate umpire Jerry Meals told The Associated Press after the game that he missed the call. He said replays showed the ball indeed hit Utley.

“I just saw a ball hit and rolling out there and that’s it,” said Meals, from Salem.

With runners at first and second, Utley tried to check his swing, only to dribble the ball up the first-base line. Street thought for sure it grazed Utley, but played the ball anyway.

“I saw it hit him. I hesitated,” Street said. “But Chase took off and then I thought in my mind it’s a free out. It turned out to be a tougher play ... but I still made the play.”

Street fielded it on the run and lobbed the ball over Utley’s head to Todd Helton at first.

The ball appeared to beat Utley to the bag — and Helton looked to have kept his foot on the bag — but first base umpire Ron Kulpa ruled Utley safe. Rockies manager Jim Tracy briefly argued before retreating to the dugout.

“The response I got was he came off the base and he was safe anyway,” Tracy said.

Rollins took third on the play and then broke the tie game as he tagged up on Howard’s fly to deep center.

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PhiladelphiaColorado

abrhbiabrhbi

Rollins ss5110CGnzlz lf4331

Victorn cf3100Fowler cf4020

Utley 2b4231Giambi ph1000

Howard 1b4012Helton 1b3211

Werth rf3100EYong pr0000

Ibanez lf2101Tlwtzk ss4011

Lidge p0000Torreal c4000

P.Feliz 3b3010GAtkns 3b4022

C.Ruiz c4022Splrghs rf4010

Happ p1000Street p0000

Dobbs ph1000Barmes 2b4000

Blanton p1000Hamml p0000

S.Eyre p0000Belisle p1000

Madson p0000Beimel p0000

Stairs ph1000Contrrs p0000

Durbin p0000S.Smith ph1000

BFrncs lf0000FMorls p0000

RBtncr p0000

Hawpe rf1000

Totals32686Totals355105

Philadelphia100301001—6

Colorado201100100—5

DP—Philadelphia 1, Colorado 1. LOB—Philadelphia 9, Colorado 8. 2B—P.Feliz (1), C.Gonzalez (2), G.Atkins (2). HR—Utley (1), C.Gonzalez (1). SB—C.Gonzalez (2). S—Victorino. SF—Howard, Tulowitzki.

IPHRERBBSO

Philadelphia

Happ353324

Blanton2 2-331100

S.Eyre H,1 1-321100

Madson BS,1-1100002

Durbin W,1-0100000

Lidge S,1-1100020

Colorado

Hammel3 2-344435

Belisle100011

Beimel1-300000

Contreras111122

F.Morales100000

R.Betancourt110013

Street L,0-1121110

S.Eyre pitched to 2 batters in the 7th. Umpires—Home, Jerry Meals; First, Ron Kulpa; Second, Angel Hernandez; Third, Tim Timmons; Right, Bob Davidson; Left, Gerry Davis. T—4:06. A—50,109.