DENVER -- The Phillies showed a little heart and a lot of offense in rallying from a five-run deficit to beat the Colorado Rockies, 8-7, in a wild one at Coors Field on Friday night.
The Phillies’ beleaguered bullpen pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings after Kyle Kendrick left the game trailing, 7-2.
The Phils scored a total of six runs in the sixth and seventh innings and Freddy Galvis drove in four of them.
Jimmy Rollins’ pinch-hit single in the seventh gave the Phils the lead.
The Phils have won two in a row. As badly as they have played recently, they trail first-place Atlanta by just 6½ games in the NL East. Atlanta has lost four in a row.
The Phils are 33-35 and 3-5 on this road trip.
Starting pitching report
Kendrick had his worst start since moving into the rotation last August. He allowed 10 hits, including a pair of home runs, and seven runs in 4 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out none.
Colorado starter Juan Nicasio took a 7-2 lead to the mound in the sixth but allowed three runs to let the Phillies back in the game. He worked 5 2/3 innings and gave up seven hits and five runs.
Bullpen report
Mike Stutes and Jeremy Horst combined on 1 1/3 scoreless innings to keep it close.
Jake Diekman, just up from Triple A, and Justin De Fratus combined on a scoreless frame in the bottom of the seventh to protect an 8-7 lead. Mike Adams followed with a scoreless eighth.
Jonathan Papelbon had his 13th save and second in as many nights. He registered the Phillies' first and only strikeout of the game, getting Michael Cuddyer for the second out in the bottom of the ninth with the potential tying run on second. He then retired Todd Helton to end the game.
Colorado right-hander Wilton Lopez allowed two runs in the seventh to give up the lead. Lopez is the pitcher the Phillies nearly acquired from Houston in the offseason. The Phillies had health concerns and backed off the trade.
At the plate
Galvis keyed the Phillies’ comeback with a pair of two-run triples in the sixth and seventh innings. John Mayberry Jr. drew a key eight-pitch walk with two outs in the seventh to keep the inning alive for Galvis, who tied the game. Rollins’ pinch-hit put the Phillies ahead.
Galvis was 1 for 22 on the road trip before his triple in the sixth.
Rollins did not start because of a sore hip and foot. Manager Charlie Manuel used Domonic Brown in the No. 3 hole and Kevin Frandsen hit fifth for the first time in his career. Frandsen had two hits.
Colorado’s Carlos Gonzalez belted his 19th homer, tying him with Brown for the league lead, with two outs in the first inning. Josh Rutledge smacked a two-run homer off Kendrick in the fourth.
Gonzalez reached base five times with four hits and a walk.
The Rockies were without Troy Tulowitzki, who went on the disabled list Thursday with a cracked rib. Entering the day, Tulowitzki was second in the NL in batting average (.347), third in homers (16) and fourth in RBIs (51).
Health check
Chase Utley, on the DL with a strained right oblique, took live batting practice for the first time since his injury and could go on a minor-league rehab assignment any day now.
Up next
Jonathan Pettibone (3-2, 3.70) opposes Tyler Chatwood (3-1, 2.14) on Saturday afternoon.