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Phils ‘Ambush’ D-Backs For 5-4 Win

Whoever said “ambush” in the Phillies’ dugout after Chase Utley plated Eric Bruntlett to give the good guys a 5-4 lead was right on â€” they pounced on the Diamondbacks in the eighth and held on tight for the big road win.

Utley’s RBI single came after an RBI hit by Eric Bruntlett, who scored Shane Victorino. Vic had a nasty collision with Conor Jackson to reach base on a passed ball, taking Jackson out of the game. Once the Phils had the lead, Tom Gordon eased past a leadoff double to hold the eighth and Brad Lidge was dominant once again to save the ninth.

The win went to JC Romero, who bailed out another Phillie reliever â€” this time Ryan Madson, who gave up a run in the seventh, giving the D-Backs a short 4-3 lead. Before him Kyle Kendrick pitched an OK six innings, giving up three earned runs and 10 hits while striking out two and walking one (a very Kendrickian effort).

Early offense came from a Victorino single and a Pedro Feliz two-run homer.

Pat Burrell was again hitless, going 0-for-3. Ryan Howard went 0-for-4.

Huge win. Vic and Bruntlett really did their jobs, and Utley proved yet again why he’s the early season MVP. The bullpen locked it down again as well â€” Gordon was clutch and Lidge was flat-out nasty. It’s a big, big win considering the Phils have to face Brandon Webb today. Getting a split at Chase Field is a nice feeling.

Associated Press photo

Tim Malcolm

Tim first found the Phillies as a little infant at Veteran’s Stadium, cheering on a Juan Samuel game-winning home run in his very first game. With the pinstripes in his blood, he witnessed Terry Mulholland’s 1990 no-hitter, “Steve Carlton Night” at the Vet, game three of the 1993 World Series, countless games during the charmed 2008 championship season and various road excursions. Since November 2007 Tim’s been writing about them daily at Phillies Nation, becoming one of the world’s most popular Phillies scribes. You can catch him on Twitter and Facebook, as well. When he’s not talking about the Phils he’s relaxing with a St. Bernardus ABT 12 or one of his many favored brews.