Pence's blast gives Phils hard-fought win over Cards

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ST. LOUISThis game was like the menu at the Cheesecake Factory.It had everything.There were clutch hits, big outs from the pitching staff, strange plays in the field, great plays in the field and even a little dustup in the dugout.In the end, the Phillies beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-3, on the strength of Hunter Pences two-run home run in the 10th inning (see Salisbury's Instant Replay). As important as Pences homer washe had been in an 0-for-12 slumpit was just one piece of one of the Phillies best and most entertaining wins of the season.Where to begin?How about with the defensive play of the season?It came with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning and the score tied, 3-3. St. Louis first baseman Matt Adams doubled to the wall in right-center. Yadier Molina, the potential go-ahead run, was off on the crack of the bat from first base. Phillies centerfielder Shane Victorino chased down the ball, made a perfect throw to second baseman Freddy Galvis, who, from right-center, threw a strike to catcher Carlos Ruiz to nail Molina in a crash-and-tag play at the plate.How impressive was the play? Ask leftfielder Juan Pierre.Its a beautiful thing, just how you draw it up, and they executed it, Pierre said. Big-time play, a game-saver. It doesnt show up in the box score, but if we dont make that play theres a good chance we lose the game. Thats what you call playing on both sides of the ball.Need more? Ask manager Charlie Manuel.Freddy was out there pretty deep, Manuel said. Hes amazing. I love to watch him. Hes absolutely unreal. To be a rookie in the big leagues and have a knowledge of the game like that and play that tension-free, loose, kind of baseballits unreal. Hes always around the ball, always around the action.The Phillies had tied the game in the top of the seventh inning. Manuel let starter Cliff Lee hit with his team down by a run (Lee was also at 98 pitches) and the pitcher did not disappoint. He singled and scored from first when Pierre laced a gapper to left-center. It may have been Pierres hardest-hit ball of the season.Shocked you? he asked.Nah.Shocked me, he said.Lee was gassed after running the bases but had to get through the seventh. He got the first two outs before allowing a single. That brought up dangerous Matt Holliday. Manuel came out of the dugout for a mound visit. He was ready to take Lee out but the pitcher and the catcher politicked against the move.I was prepared to take him out, Manuel said. He said, I want to stay in. I can get this guy, and Ruiz said, Hes still got it, Charlie.Hearts briefly stopped in the Phillies dugout when Holliday lofted one to deep left. It was all good. Pierre made the catch at the wall and Lee got out of there with the score tied, 3-3.With Chad Qualls and Antonio Bastardo both in need of a night off, Manuel had to lean on lefty Raul Valdes in the ninth and Valdes responded with two huge strikeouts with men on base to get out of the inning.That set up Pence in the 10th. He was looking fastball against Jason Motte and he got oneat 97 mphon the first pitch. He swatted it over the rightfield wall with Pierre on base as the Phils went up by two runs.The game featured two strange plays in the fourth inning as Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence both lost fly balls in the twilight. Both balls fell for hits, one a triple.Theres about 10 minutes when the ball and the sky look the same, Pence said.After that inning, Lee and Victorino exchanged wordsheated words, according to Manuelin the dugout. Brian Schneider had to step between them.Thats good sometimes, Manuel said. Theres nothing wrong with that. No big deal.Neither Manuel nor Lee would say whether the confrontation stemmed from the balls that had been lost in the outfield.Its going to stay between us, Lee said. Im not going to talk about it.Victorino would not talk about it either.Just go, he said brusquely, waving a reporter away from his locker.Victorino did not appear to be in a good mood.Oh, well.
E-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com.

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