Phillies win in 10th, reach .500 at the break

The Phillies didn't win many style points this weekend, but they have reached the all-star break on a certifiable roll.

On a weekend that included long days and nights, and early mornings, the Phillies ended their homestand 7-3 on Sunday with a 4-3 win over the Chicago White Sox in 10 innings. It was their fourth consecutive series win.

John Mayberry Jr.'s two-out single up the middle with the bases loaded provided the winning margin.

"It was a first-pitch fastball, and I was just looking for something out over the plate and trying to put it in play hard someplace, and luckily it snuck through," said Mayberry, who hit a solo home run in the seventh inning of Saturday night's 2-1 victory in 13 innings.

Those who had tickets to the three-game series got their money's worth and more as each game went extra innings. The teams split a doubleheader Saturday that totaled 24 innings. And now this.

"You go out with as much as you have, but there wasn't much left in anybody's tank," shortstop Jimmy Rollins said.

There was enough to give the Phillies some hope. At the all-star break, the Phils are 48-48, the first time they have visited the .500 mark since they were 31-31 on June 7.

The Phillies are 51/2 games behind Cincinnati for the second wild-card spot and 61/2 games behind first-place Atlanta in the NL East with 66 to play.

There is still plenty of work to do when the Phillies resume play Friday after the all-star break against the New York Mets at Citi Field.

"We have a lot ahead of us, but at the same time we will take four days for what we can and plug away for 10 weeks," said starting pitcher Cole Hamels, who was in line for the win until Jonathan Papelbon coughed up his fifth blown save in the ninth inning.

Antonio Bastardo was the winner after he pitched a scoreless 10th inning.

Chase Utley opened the Phillies' 10th with a double to left-center against lefthander David Purcey. Rollins was intentionally walked. Domonic Brown then grounded out to Purcey for the first out, with the runners advancing to second and third. Darin Ruf was intentionally walked.

Righthander Ramon Troncoso replaced Purcey and struck out Delmon Young before Mayberry delivered his winning hit.

Lost in the effort was another outstanding performance by Hamels, who appears to be returning to the form that made him a three-time all-star.

Hamels threw 107 pitches and allowed two runs (both earned) and eight hits in eight innings. He struck out seven and walked none.

In his last three games, Hamels has allowed four earned runs in 23 innings (1.57 ERA).

Brown gave the Phillies an early lead with a two-run double to deep center field in the first, giving him 67 RBIs.

Hamels increased the lead to 3-0 with an RBI single to right in the fourth. He entered the game with two hits this season and departed with two more.

Chicago scored in the seventh on Jeff Keppinger's RBI single. The White Sox cut the lead to 3-2 on Alejandro De Aza's solo home run to right with one out in the eighth. For a leadoff hitter, De Aza has plenty of pop. That was his 12th home run.

Papelbon blew his fifth save by allowing a two-out RBI single to catcher Josh Phegley that tied the score in the ninth inning.

Phegley left the game in the bottom of the inning after getting hit in his right hand with a foul tip from pinch-hitter Kevin Frandsen, who then hit a one-out single. John McDonald hit into an inning-ending double play, forcing another extra-inning affair.