Phils win 7-4 to take 2-0 lead in NLDS

FROM KEITH GROLLER

Here's how things unfolded here tonight at Citizens Bank Park where the Phillies rallied to beat the Reds and seize command in this best-of-five series. The entries go from latest to earliest, and you can see how it all unfolded:

9:46 p.m.

Terrific backhand stop by Polanco at third gets the final out and the Phillies win it 7-4 to take a 2-0 lead in this series. It's highly, highly unlikely that this series will return to Philly. Next game here will probably be Game 1 of the NLCS a week from Saturday, and probably against the Giants.

9:38 p.m.

Phillies tacked on a run in the bottom of the eighth, this time without help from the Reds, and it's 7-4 and it's "Lights Out Lidge" time going to the ninth.

Reds have 6-7-8 up in the order, starting with Jay Bruce.

9:25 p.m.

Joey Votto singled, but Reds did nothing else in the top of the eighth. Rolen has done nothing for Reds. Looks like he doesn't want to be here. Bottom of eighth begins, Phils up 6-4 and unless something very strange happens, Phillies are going to take a 2-0 series lead.

9:07 p.m.

Phillies now lead it 6-4 and Chapman departs. Just an incredible turn of events. Sometimes you win because you are good as the Phillies and Roy Halladay were on Wednesday and sometimes the other team gives it to you like the Reds did. And they were one of the top fielding teams in the league coming in. Wow.

9:00 p.m.

Absolutely incredible. Two errors on same play, on what should have been a routine fly to right by Rollins and the Phillies take the lead, 5-4. Reds have absolutely given this one away. Rolen didn't help matters on previous batter when he made a dumb decision to throw to second for a force when the play was to throw to first on Werth's grounder.

8:52 p.m.

After "God Bless America" and military salute sets a nice tone for 7th inning stretch, Aroldis Chapman arrives for Cincy. First pitch to Chase Utley clocked in at 100 mph. Utley hit by pitch and self-destruction continues for Reds.

8:39 p.m.

Reds get out of inning without further damage, and lead 4-3 after six, but they are doing everything possible to give this one away. Two unearned runs one inning, and then allow four baserunners without a hit in the next.

8:35 p.m.

Bases loaded walk by Victorino cuts the Reds to 4-3. Arroyo never imploded tonight, but his team sure is now.

8:33 p.m.

Fans go crazy as pinch-hitter Ben Franciso is plunked in helmet, but no way Ondrusek wanted to do that. Bases loaded, two out, and Victorino at the plate.

8:27 p.m.

Chooch Ruiz stays in the game despite taking a vicious pitch from Rhodes on the knee cap. Logan Ondrusek, who pitched well in Game 1, comes on to relieve for the Reds with two on, two out.

8:16 p.m.

Phillies have had the leadoff hitter on base four times in six innings after Werth walks to start the sixth, but Rollins can't advance him with a popout. JRoll now 0-for-3 and that's it for Arroyo. Here starts the parade of lefties.

8:07 p.m.

Stubbs picked off first. It wasn't even close. Reds starting to make bad mistakes, even though they still lead 4-2 going to the bottom of the sixth.

7:59 p.m.

No wonder the Phillies are losing. Ferrous and FeFe were just on the field during a mascot display between innings. Nothing that reminds folks of an IronPigs game can be good for the home team.

7:57 p.m.

Utley atones for his own errors and a previous strikeout by smacking a two-run single. Both runs are unearned, but the Phillies are back in it at 4-2. Here comes J.C. Romero to replace Oswalt,who went just five.

7:50 p.m.

Arroyo isn't imploding, but his defense is. Back-to-back errors by Phillips at second and Rolen at third have the bases loaded with two out and Utley coming up. Crowd knows this is the moment.

7:34 p.m.

Phillips doubles to start the fifth, moves to third on a sac bunt and scores on a sac fly by Votto. Fundamental baseball. It's 4-0 and this one is slipping away inning by inning. After bringing in a 30-inning scoreless string, Reds have now scored in four of the first five tonight.

7:30 p.m.

Phillies best threat of the night ends with a Rollins double play. Crowd went from crazy to concerned with one swing of the bat. Still five innings to go, but it's not looking good. Still waiting for that Arroyo implosion everybody expected, and now Phillips makes it 3-for-3 with a leadoff double. Needs only a triple for the cyle.

7:20 p.m.

Jay Bruce's blast into the upper deck made it 3-0 and the Reds could only wish it had come an inning earlier with two on base. Phils coming up in last of the fourth and everybody's still waiting for Arroyo to implode.

6:58 p.m.

That just may have been the key sequence of the game, and possibly, of the series. First and second, none out, and 3-4-5 coming up. You get a fly to left by Votto and strikeouts of Rolen and Nix. Could be a momentum shift.

6:49 p.m.

It wasn't to the level of Rolen or J.D. Drew, but Orlando Cabrera drew the boos before his at-bat. Response to him complaining about the strike zone on Weds. Forget that. More pressing matters at hand. He singled to put runners on first and second with the soon-to-be NL MVP coming to the plate.

6:46 p.m.

Ryan Howard's single insured there would be no second consecutive no-hitter. Phils went 1-2-3 after that. No panic yet. Just a matter of time until the Phils get to Arroyo, right?

6:35 p.m.

Two errors in the same inning by Utley quickly disposed of all of the warm and fuzzy feelings the fans have had for two days. Reds lead 2-0 going to the bottom of the second and suddenly everybody realizes that this isn't as easy as Halladay made it seem on Wednesday.

6:18 p.m.

Phillies go 1-2-3 in the first, just like the Reds did on Wednesday. Is anybody yet making comparisons between Arroyo and Halladay? I didn't think so.

6:08 p.m.

Was in the press lunch room when the Reds opened the game with a home run by Brandon Phillips. Within seconds about 10 people said "Wow, I guess there will be no no-hitter tonight." Not so fast my friend. The great Brandon Arroyo gets the ball for the Reds.

5:10 p.m.

Unbelievably gorgeous night here in Philly. Can this last for another month? The baseball fans here in Philly could use it because most believe another World Series is in store for this city and the Series -- if it goes the distance -- would last until Nov. 4.

Stuck in traffic on the way here. Normal one-hour, 20-minute trip took an hour longer than usual. Blue Route was even slower than the Expressway would have been. Can someone tell me why Friday night traffic is always 10 times worse than other day of the week?

Stuck in traffic so long, got a chance to hear a lot of stuff on the radio. Larry Bowa is aleady predicting a Yankees-Phillies rematch and said Yankees, Derek Jeter in particular, hates to face Roy Halladay. Bowa says Phillies are clearly better than anyone in the NL. On New York ESPN station, Tino Martinez said he wasn't so sure.

4:45 p.m.

Saw Phillies play-by-play man Tom McCarthy in the hallway. Secured him for Morning Call's "Calling All Sports" radio show in the morning. Good, good guy. He'll be on at 10:15 a.m. with me and Roger Pence.

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/