Phils win a wild one

DENVER -- OK, so the Phillies won their third straight game here tonight, but it was a white-knuckle kind of win. Leading 10-4 in the ninth inning, Julio Santana gave up four runs to make it interesting.

The Rockies may have had more, too, if not for Jason Smith's bone-headed baserunning play. Smith tried to go first-to-third on Miguel Olivo's single to left and was thrown out by Shane Victorino, a late-game replacement. If making the last out of an inning at third is a cardinal sin in baseball, what is making the last out of a game there?

But you can read more about that in tomorrow's paper.

The game didn't start off well for Ryan Madson, who needed 13 pitches to retire Rockies leadoff hitter Cory Sullivan. "I'd rather [Sullivan] hit a home run on the first pitch there than have a 13-pitch at-bat," Madson said, although it worked out for him. Madson threw 30 pitches in the first inning, but only 72 in the next six to give the Phils a quality start.

I promised to ask Charlie Manuel about the decision to use Franklin last night instead of Rhodes. Turns out, the Phillies want to be careful with the 36-year-old Rhodes. Manuel said he's reluctant to use him more than two days in a row. But 3-2/3 innings in 10 games seems a little too conservative, doesn't it? After all, Rhodes is the primary setup man.

Finally, Madson said Pat Burrell told him the Phillies would score 10 runs tonight. Think Burrell feels confident about hitting in Coors Field?

That's all for now. More from Denver tomorrow.