DENVER -- After being limited to four runs in three games at Houston, the Phillies bats, led by Chase Utley, struck for eight runs in Denver.

Three of those runs came in the ninth and proved to be the difference in Philadelphia's 8-5 win over the Rockies on Thursday in front of 22,015 at Coors Field.

Utley collected three extra-base hits -- two doubles and a two-run homer -- and tallied a career-high five RBIs. His second double came with two outs in the ninth and hit off Dustan Mohr's glove, putting the Phillies in front by three.

"It seems like he's getting a lot of big hits," said manager Charlie Manuel. "That's great. We need them at the moment."

Utley, the National League Player of the Week from July 14-17, hit his 15th home run, a 405-foot shot to right, in the fifth inning. He has hit safely in 12 of the last 13 games, batting .386 over that span.

"It was a team effort tonight," Utley said. "I had no doubt we'd come back to win that game."

Utley hit a fastball off Colorado starter Byung-Hyun Kim for the homer, and said he "can't complain too much" about how the ball carries at the high altitude.

With the win, the Phillies remained 2 1/2 games out of the National League Wild Card lead, tied for second with the Marlins, and trailing the Astros and Nationals. They remian 5 1/2 games behind the Braves in the NL East, and moved from fifth to a tie for third with Florida as a result of the Mets' loss.

"We worked hard for that game," Manuel said. "Seems like every [game] requires hard work lately."

David Bell led off the ninth with a double into the left field corner, and Matt Kata came in to pinch-run for him. Pinch-hitter Ramon Martinez executed a sacrifice bunt, moving Kata to third. With two outs, pinch-hitter Tomas Perez hit a ground ball to short right field, snagged by a diving Aaron Miles, but his throw was late, allowing Kata to score.

Billy Wagner sent the Rockies down in order in the ninth, for the 22nd save, and 268th in his career. Wagner did what his bullpen mates couldn't, as they surrendered a three-run lead late in the game.

Starter Rob Tejeda worked 5 1/3 innings, giving up five hits and three runs (two earned) in his first career start at Coors. He struck out four and walked three, one of which scored.

Geoff Geary finished the sixth inning, and the Phillies led, 5-3, heading into the last three innings. Rheal Cormier gave up a solo shot to Luis Gonzalez in the seventh, and Ugueth Urbina yielded three consecutive one-out singles in the eighth as the Rockies knotted the game.

The run allowed by Urbina snapped his 10 2/3-inning scoreless streak. With the potential winning run on base, Urbina retired the final two hitters of the inning on a strikeout and a popup. Urbina, acquired on June 8 along with Martinez from Detroit in exchange for Placido Polanco, earned his first victory with the Phillies.

Kim went 6 2/3 innings, giving up nine hits and five runs. Reliever Mike DeJean pitched the ninth, giving up three runs on three hits, as his record fell to 4-2.

All four Phillies runs in the fifth came with two outs, and the team batted 4-for-10 with runners in scoring position. They entered the game fourth in the NL with a .279 average with men in scoring position.

Philadelphia improved to 12-4 against the NL West, and 2-1 against the Rockies.