(Sports Network) - Jimmy Rollins made the most of his first hit since coming off the disabled list by lifting the Philadelphia Phillies to a dramatic win in last night's middle portion of a three-game series versus the Cleveland Indians at Citizens Bank Park.
Rollins and the two-time defending National League champion Phillies will make a quick turnaround with Thursday afternoon's series finale. The All-Star shortstop, who had been laid up with a calf injury, went 0-for-4 in Tuesday's 2-1 win before going 1-for-5 in last night's 7-6 verdict. The one hit, however, was a two-run game-winning homer off of Indians closer Kerry Wood in the bottom of the ninth.
"We did a lot of things right, we did a couple things wrong, but at the end of the day we found a way to win," Rollins said after his big hit. "That's been our specialty, and we have to believe that no matter what happens, until that 27th out is made, we have a chance."
Brian Schneider and Jayson Werth both homered while Raul Ibanez knocked in a pair of runs for Philadelphia, which has won five of seven games and pulled within 3 1/2 games of Atlanta for the top spot in the National League East standings. Werth ended with three hits and two runs scored and is hitting .333 with three homers and eight RBI in the previous nine contests.
J.C. Romero picked up the win with a scoreless ninth inning and starter Kyle Kendrick avoided the loss column after giving up five runs -- four earned -- and six hits in four innings.
After today's game the Phillies will hit the road for seven games against Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.
Phils starter Joe Blanton hasn't put together consecutive wins this season and will try to do so when he takes the ball Thursday afternoon. Blanton posted his second win of the season his last time out on Friday versus Minnesota, holding the Twins to three runs and seven hits in six innings of a 9-5 win.
Blanton, who is 2-5 in nine starts, was 0-3 with a with an 8.56 earned run average in his previous five outings before beating the Twins.
The portly right-hander hopes to even his 1-2 home record today and will make his ninth career start against Cleveland. Blanton is 2-5 with a 4.30 earned run average in eight career meetings with the Indians.
Cleveland hopes to put the brakes on a four-game losing streak today and has lost eight of nine games since a four-game winning streak. Shin-Soo Choo clubbed a pair of two-run homers, while young prospect Carlos Santana drove in a two runs in defeat.
Wood was saddled with the loss for surrendering Rollins' homer and starter Jake Westbrook recorded the no-decision for yielding four runs and seven hits in five innings of work.
"We didn't execute the way we wanted, especially offensively," said Indians manager Manny Acta. "We still got to the ninth inning with the lead and the bottom of the order up, which is the ideal situation. The leadoff walk really killed us there."
Acta will hand the ball to Fausto Carmona in Thursday's finale, and he will shoot for his third straight winning start. After losing four straight outings from May 22-June 7, Carmona got back into the win column with a one-hitter versus Washington on June 12. He then helped Cleveland to a win at Pittsburgh last Friday, when he recorded six innings of three-run ball and struck out seven batters for the second straight time.
Carmona, a right-hander, is 6-5 with a 3.31 earned run average in 14 trips to the mound this season and 4-2 in seven away starts. He has never faced the Phillies in his career.
The Indians took two of three from the Phillies when the clubs last met in Cleveland in 2007 and are visiting Philadelphia for the first time in the regular season.