PHILADELPHIA — Brian Schneider knows how to make an entrance.
The Northampton graduate, who hadn't started since July 1 because of a sprained thumb, got the start on Thursday and hit a walk-off home run in the 12th inning to lift the Phillies over the Cincinnati Reds 4-3 at Citizens Bank Park.
Schneider was hitless in his first four at-bats but his solo shot as the clock neared 11 p.m. gave the Phillies a winning record in extra-inning games.
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The Phillies squandered leads twice in the game, including in the ninth inning, before Schneider's heroics.
Philadelphia had a 2-1 lead before the Reds tied it in the eighth. The Phillies regained the lead in the bottom of the eighth before Cincinnati knotted it at 3 in the ninth against Brad Lidge, who blew his third save in four chances.
Although Schneider's home run gave the Phillies the victory, just their fourth in 11 games, Kyle Kendrick deserves a lot of credit for what he did.
Management has made it clear that J.A. Happ will once again help the Phillies.
But Kendrick is making a strong case that he should not be the one who Happ eventually replaces.
After throwing a complete game last week, Kendrick gave another solid outing on Thursday. The right-hander allowed just three hits and one run and didn't walk anyone in 6 2/3 innings.
Kendrick was in line for the win, but got a no-decision because the Reds tied the game in the eighth inning.
Kendrick retired 10 in a row at one point, never allowed more than one baserunner an inning and after his solo home run in the first inning, he retired star Joey Votto twice, including catching him looking at a called third strike in the seventh inning.
The right-hander was cruising along, having faced just two more than the minimum and needing just 73 pitches to get through 6 2/3 innings.
But manager Charlie Manuel, who heavily favors lefty-lefty matchups, yanked Kendrick and handed the ball to J.C. Romero, who came in to face Jay Bruce and only Jay Bruce.
Romero fanned Bruce to end the inning, keeping the Phillies 2-1 lead intact.
Things got interesting, then, in the eigth, and the Reds gave the Phillies a little taste of their own medicine by scoring a whacky run of their own.
Ryan Madson, making his first appearance since April 28 (he's been on the disabled since recovering from surgery to repair his broken right big toe) had two on and two out when he struck out Brandon Phillips.
But the wild pitch scooted all the way to the backstop, and Drew Stubbs raced around third base and then home.
With Madson and catcher Brian Schneider, a Northampton graduate, trying to track down the ball, no one was covering home and Stubbs scored to make it 2-2.
The Phillies, though, rebounded quickly.
Wilson Valdez tripled to lead off the bottom of the inning. One out later, pinch hitter Ben Francisco drew a walk, putting runners at the corners for Rollins, who hit a sharp line drive to left. Valdez scored easily for the go-ahead run.
The Phils' second run came in interesting fashion.
Rollins drew a two-out walk in the third inning and moved to second base when Shane Victorino singled on a ball that hit off the first-base bag. Rollins took off for third base and came around to score when Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto hesitated, tried to tag Victorino and then threw home.
Rollins, though, slid head first in a circular pattern right around the tag to put the Phillies ahead 2-1.
amanda.housenick@mcall.com
610-820-6187
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