After Ryan Madson faltered in the eighth, the Phils appeared headed home for a deciding Game 5. But this team prides itself on the ability to come back, and the Phils regard Rollins as the man who can best instigate them.

With one out in the ninth and his team trailing 4-2, Rollins singled off Rockies closer Huston Street. Shane Victorino then reached base on a fielder's choice that erased Rollins, and Chase Utley walked. That brought up Howard, whom manager Charlie Manuel calls "The Big Piece."

The Big Piece doubled in a huge moment, tying the game, and Jayson Werth drove in the winning run with a single. Two Rockies batters reached in the ninth off Scott Eyre, and Manuel summoned Lidge to face Troy Tulowitzki with two out.

The once-troubled closer earned his second save in 24 hours when Tulowitzki could not check his swing on a slider. Lidge pumped his fists, screamed, and embraced catcher Carlos Ruiz.

The series offered an uncommonly generous dose of drama. Lefthander Cliff Lee began his postseason career with a Game 1 dazzler. Cole Hamels' wife went into labor during his Game 2 loss. Snow and freezing temperatures postponed Game 3, and when they finally played Sunday night, Lidge saved a tense 6-5 win in record-setting cold.

The Phillies' offense has been more consistent in this series than it was during much of the regular season. In the top of the first inning, Victorino blasted a hard line drive over the wall in right field. Five Phillies batters forced Ubaldo Jimenez to throw 30 pitches in the first, a victory in itself against the Rockies' best starter.

Lee allowed two hits in the first but settled into a more typical pace in the second. With his cutter and change-up sharp, Lee breezed through the bottom of the Colorado lineup, striking out two.

In the third, the Phils further increased Jimenez's pitch count but wasted a chance to bury their desperate opponent, just six innings away from the end of their season. Victorino and Utley hit one-out singles, with the former moving to third due to another questionable call by an umpire.

The day after Utley charged to first base in a key moment on an obvious foul ball, and then was incorrectly ruled safe at first, Victorino benefited from a close call at third on Utley's single. Rightfielder Carlos Gonzalez's throw beat Victorino to first, but Gerry Davis ruled that Victorino beat the tag.

Unlike on Sunday, though, the Phils could not capitalize. Jimenez loaded the bases with an intentional walk to Howard, but Werth and Raul Ibanez struck out, keeping the score at 1-0.

Though the talented Jimenez was inefficient to that point, throwing 35 strikes and 30 balls through three, he trailed only by a solo home run. And the Phils made his day easier by falling quickly in a seven-pitch fourth.

Granted the reprieve, Jimenez began to resemble the electric pitcher who helped lead his team to the National League wild card. Mixing a high-90s fastball with a diving, high 80s change-up, Jimenez swapped scoreless innings with Lee, and kept things tense.

Jimenez faltered before Lee. With one out in the sixth, he left a 2-2 off-speed pitch to Werth in the middle of the strike zone, and Werth bashed it over the wall in right-center for a 2-0 Phillies lead.

But the Rockies' underrated lineup quickly snatched back the run in the bottom of the inning, though bad luck again spoiled a rally. Todd Helton drew a one-out walk, and scored on Tulowitzki's double. Garrett Atkins followed with a hot liner to third, but Pedro Feliz stood in its path. He caught it and threw to second for an inning-ending double play.

Lee overcame a potentially significant error in the seventh to preserve the one-run lead. With one out, Seth Smith sent a ball to left field. Ibanez lurched forward to grab it, and the ball deflected off the top of his glove.

Smith landed at second, but Lee got a fly out and pop-up, send the game into the eighth with the Phils still leading by 2-1. But the offense wasted yet another opportunity in the eighth when a bases-loaded, no-out situation failed to yield a run.

Contact staff writer Andy Martino at 215-854-4874 or amartino@phillynews.com.