Prime-time blooper
PHILADELPHIA — Bright lights, glaring error.
Reds right fielder Jay Bruce missed a seventh-inning line drive after losing the ball in the lights, allowing two crucial runs to score, and the Philadelphia Phillies took advantage of Cincinnati's shoddy fielding to earn a 7-4 win Friday night for a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five NL division series.
After Roy Halladay threw the second no-hitter in postseason history in Philadelphia's 4-0 victory Wednesday, the Reds were determined to show their resilience.
Brandon Phillips hit a leadoff homer on Roy Oswalt's fourth pitch and the Reds built a 4-0 lead before their defense and bullpen unraveled.
"I feel like I let my team down," Bruce said. "It was in the lights the whole time. I tried to stick with it. It was a pretty helpless feeling."
The Phillies rallied against hard-throwing rookie Aroldis Chapman and his triple-digit fastball after soft-tossing starter Bronson Arroyo kept Philadelphia's hitters off balance.
The two-time defending NL champions can close out the series in Game 3 on Sunday night in Cincinnati. Cole Hamels, the 2008 World Series MVP, pitches for the Phillies. Johnny Cueto is on the mound for the Reds.
Leading 4-3, the Reds turned to Chapman to protect the slim margin in the seventh. The 22-year-old Cuban came in firing, but he hit Chase Utley with a 101 mph fastball leading off. It wasn't clear whether the ball grazed Utley's right forearm, but he didn't seem shaken.
After Ryan Howard struck out, Jayson Werth hit a bouncer to third baseman Scott Rolen. Utley beat the throw to second on a close call. Phillips threw his arms up and Reds manager Dusty Baker came out to argue briefly.
Jimmy Rollins then hit a liner to right that Bruce turned into a two-base error. The lights were the culprit, he said, not the sea of white-and-red "Fightin' Phils" rally towels.
The ball rolled past Bruce, and Utley scored the tying run. Werth scored without a play when Phillips dropped the relay throw for another error, giving the Phillies a 5-4 lead.
"It's embarrassing," Bruce said. "I take great pride in my defense, but there was nothing I can do about it."
Braves 5, Giants 4
At San Francisco, Rick Ankiel splashed a tiebreaking home run into McCovey Cove in the 11th inning, and Atlanta rallied from a late four-run deficit to beat San Francisco 5-4 Friday night in the NL Division Series.
The Braves had 46 come-from-behind victories this season and did it again when it counted — with manager Bobby Cox watching from the clubhouse after his third career postseason ejection in the second inning.
Atlanta heads home to Turner Field for Game 3 Sunday with the best-of-five series tied at a win apiece. It's the only first-round playoff series that is even after two games.
Kyle Farnsworth pitched 1X\c shutout innings for the victory, relieving in the 10th after closer Billy Wagner was injured fielding a bunt. Farnsworth escaped a bases-loaded jam when Buster Posey grounded into an inning-ending double play that was started by Troy Glaus at third base.
Alex Gonzalez hit a tying, two-run double in the eighth against Giants closer Brian Wilson, who led the majors with 48 saves this season.
