Jenkins, who chugged past third-base coach Steve Smith's stop sign, scored the winning run in the ninth inning last night in an improbable 4-3, back-from-the-dead Phillies victory over the Houston Astros at Citizens Bank Park.

"I was going full-speed and I guess it was the right move," Jenkins said after he scored on a double by Pedro Feliz. "I was just running as fast as I could. Great ending. Great comeback win."

The Phillies looked comatose through the first eight innings, when righthander Shawn Chacon shut them out. But everything changed in the ninth when pinch-hitter Chris Snelling hit the first pitch from closer Jose Valverde into the right-field stands for a home run to make it 3-1.

"We were asleep for eight innings," Pat Burrell said.

No longer. Valverde hit Chase Utley with the next pitch to put the tying run at the plate. The crowd sensed that something special could happen.

Valverde struck out Ryan Howard, but Burrell followed, taking a fastball on the outside part of the plate and stroking it to right field for a two-run home run to tie the game at 3-3.

"I know the main objective is just to keep the line rolling," Burrell said. "Chase gets hit, so I'm up there with one out. Just try to get a hit. Just try to get on base so you can just bring more guys to the plate. Fortunately, that worked out."

Jenkins struck out but reached base on a passed ball by catcher Brad Ausmus. Feliz followed and ripped a double into the left-field corner. Jenkins knew he could reach third. He saw Smith initially wave him home - and that's when he put his head down and ran as fast as he could.

That's when he blew through the stop sign. Astros leftfielder Carlos Lee had thrown the ball to shortstop Miguel Tejada, who threw home for a close play at the plate.

"I tried to get in front of him and he ran by," Smith said. "Thank goodness it worked out. You always wave him early, and then when they got [the ball] clean, you have to stop him with one out. If it's two outs, I would have sent him."

"You go hard, hard, hard," Jenkins said. "When you supposedly pick up the third-base coach and he throws the stop sign up, you stop. I just was in that tweener part where I had the head down, hit third and go. I didn't see it."

Good thing he didn't. He scored. The Phillies won. He'll take it.

Read Todd Zolecki's Phillies blog every day, http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/phillies_zone/