ST. LOUIS -- Jim Edmonds delivered a game-winning home run in the bottom of the 13th inning, giving the Cardinals a 5-4 win over the Phillies on Thursday afternoon at Busch Stadium. Edmonds' longball prevented Philadelphia from sweeping a three-game series from St. Louis.
Edmonds' blast went out to right-center field off Amaury Telemaco, who was in his fifth inning of relief work. The ball traveled an estimated 380 feet.
"It was the right pitch in the wrong location," Telemaco said of his last offering of the day.
Ricky Ledee helped send the game into extra innings with a booming, two-run homer in the ninth. With the Phils down, 4-2, Ledee entered the game as a pinch-hitter. Facing Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen, he deposited a hanging curve ball into deep right center field, tying the game at 4.
The Phillies needed Ledee's home run after surrendering a lead in the eighth. Philadelphia was up, 2-1, when Roberto Hernandez relieved Tim Worrell. With the bases loaded, pinch-hitter Reggie Sanders smacked Hernandez's first pitch for a three-run triple.
Roberto Hernandez / P
Born: 11/11/64
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 250 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: R
Hernandez said he threw a fastball away because he didn't want to get behind Sanders.
"I'm going after everybody," Hernandez said. "In a situation like that, I made my pitch and he hit it. He had been hitting balls inside, so I was going away. I'll sleep a lot easier knowing he hit my best pitch."
Worrell had started the eighth and gave up a one-out single to Edgar Renteria, and then a double to Albert Pujols. With runners on second and third, Rheal Cormier came in and struck out Edmonds, then issued an intentional walk to Scott Rolen.
After the free pass, manager Larry Bowa brought in Hernandez to face Sanders. Coming into the at-bat, Sanders was 2-for-4 in his career against Hernandez with a double and a home run.
St. Louis scored the its first run off starter Kevin Millwood in the fifth. Colin Porter led off with a double, was sacrificed to third and scored on a squeeze bunt by So Taguchi.
As has been the trend for the series, after one team scored, it was immediately answered by the opponent in the next half inning.
Jim Thome / 1B
Born: 08/27/70
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 240 lbs
Bats: L / Throws: R
This time it was Jim Thome, who clubbed a two-run homer off Chris Carpenter. The Cardinals' right-hander allowed two runs on three hits and three walks in seven innings.
For Thome, it continued his amazing success against the Cardinals -- he's hitting .463 against St. Louis with 14 home runs and 33 RBIs in his career.
Philadelphia learned about the toughness of catcher Mike Matheny in the top of the eighth. Marlon Byrd began the inning with a double off reliever Ray King, and went to third on a sacrifice bunt. With the infield in, Bobby Abreu grounded to first baseman Pujols, who threw home.
Matheny received the ball and blocked the plate, then braced himself as Byrd, a 229-pound former college running back, barrelled into him.
Millwood turned in his best outing of the season, tossing seven innings and allowing one run on seven hits and a walk. He struck out four. Millwood had won his previous two starts.
Telemaco had conflicting feelings, but he tried to keep the loss in perspective.
"I have mixed feelings," he said. "It was good because I went out there ands competed for my team, but I feel bad because we lost.
"We won four out of six games (on the road trip). If we keep doing that for the rest of the year, we'll be in good shape."
Ken Mandel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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Roberto Hernandez / P
Jim Thome / 1B
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