The Philadelphia Phillies dropped the second game of their series against the Reds on Tuesday, losing 5-4 at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies led for much of the game until the Reds, who hold a firm grip on the NL Central, scored in each of the final three innings to come back against Cliff Lee and the Philadelphia bullpen.
Lee worked 6.2 innings and struck out nine before the Reds started to mount a rally in the top of the seventh. Scott Rolen led off the inning with a double and would score two batters later after an error by Ryan Howard. The inning featured three Cincy hits and two Philly errors, ending with a 3-1 Reds lead.
Philadelphia responded in the bottom half of the frame, however, evening things up on a clutch hit by Jimmy Rollins. The Phillies shortstop stepped into the box with the bases loaded and took a 2-1 offering from Sean Marshall to left for a double that scored Kevin Frandsen and Erik Kratz.
The late-inning seesaw carried over to the eighth, when both teams exchanged runs. Todd Frazier did the damage for Cincinnati with a solo shot off Antonio Bastardo. Kevin Frandsen answered for the Phils with a triple that scored Domonic Brown to tie things up at 4-4. But Frandsen would be stranded on third when Kratz grounded out to end the inning.
Jonathan Papelbon came on for the Phils in the ninth, looking to keep things knotted. But Papelbon gave up a lead-off homer to Zack Cozart that would give Cincinnati the lead for good. Cozart finished the night with two RBIs and a run scored.
The four-game set continues on Wednesday night with Vance Worley on the mound.
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