BOX SCORE
ST. LOUISThe Phillies season has come down to one game.
The St. Louis Cardinals rallied from an early deficit to hang a 5-3 defeat on the Phils in Game 4 of the National League Division Series on Wednesday night. The series is tied at two games apiece.
Roy Halladay and Chris Carpenter will be the starting pitchers in the decisive fifth game Friday night in Philadelphia.
Starting pitching report: Roy Oswalt failed to protect an early 2-0 lead as he allowed five runs on six hits over six innings. He allowed a two-run double in the fourth and a two-run homer in the sixth, both to David Freese. Oswalt struck out five.
The Phillies vaunted starting pitching staff has been quite human in this series. Oswalt and Cliff Lee both went six innings and allowed five runs in their starts. Halladay is the only Phils starter to go more than six innings thus far.
St. Louis right-hander Edwin Jackson allowed three hits and two runs in the first inning. After that, he gave up just two hits and no runs in six innings of work. He exited with a 5-2 lead.
MLB
Bullpen report: Brad Lidge and Joe Blanton both pitched a scoreless inning for the Phils.
St. Louis lefty Marc Rzepczynski quelled a Phillies surge in the top of the eighth when he struck out Ryan Howard on three pitches with a runner on second and the Cardinals up by two runs. In all, the Cardinals bullpen delivered three scoreless innings with Jason Motte getting the save.
At the plate: Jimmy Rollins opened the game with a double, Chase Utley followed with a single and Hunter Pence singled as the Phils jumped to a 2-0 lead five pitches into the game. The Phils had just four singles the rest of the way and their only additional run scored on a wild pitch.
Howard returned to his hometown and went hitless in two games. He entered the series hitting .368 with nine homers and 35 RBIs in 26 career games at Busch Stadium, but it was another product of nearby Lafayette High School that had the big night in Game 4. Cardinals third baseman Freese, who followed Howard at Lafayette, had four RBIs with a double and a booming homer to center.
In the field: Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols made a heads-up play when he eschewed a force out at first to gun down Utley at third in the top of the sixth inning. Utley had been off on the pitch at first base and continue to third on Pences ground ball to shortstop. Pujols sniffed out Utleys strategy and got the first out of the inning.
Earlier in the game, Pence made a nice running catch at the warning track on a long liner to right by Yadier Molina.
Phillies centerfielder Shane Victorino was charged with an error in the first inning when he stumbled and lost his grip on a throw after Lance Berkmans RBI double to the gap.
Up next: Halladay and Carpenter are the pitchers in Game 5 on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park.
E-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com.