Rollins' RBI in 12th helps Phillies end home losing streak
PHILADELPHIA -- Jimmy Rollins still believes the Philadelphia Phillies can make a run at a playoff spot.
The former NL MVP helped his team's cause by lining an RBI single in the 12th inning to lead the Phillies over the San Francisco Giants 4-3 on Sunday.
The five-time defending NL East champions are 10 1/2 games behind Atlanta for the second wild-card spot. They snapped a seven-game home losing streak with the win and improved to 5-4 since the All-Star break.
"It's not a feeling. It's a fact," Rollins said when asked whether he felt the Phillies could contend. "Can we do it? That remains to be seen. We have the horses now, we're getting back to full strength and the pitchers have been doing a good job."
John Mayberry Jr. hit a pair of solo homers and Joe Blanton had another strong start for Philadelphia.
Nate Schierholtz hit two solo shots for the first-place Giants, who are 7-2 since the All-Star break.
"We're getting contributions from one through nine, which is why we had a good trip," Giants hot-hitting catcher Buster Posey said.
Kyle Kendrick (4-8) earned the win with 2 1/3 scoreless innings.
Carlos Ruiz walked in the 12th against Giants reliever Brad Penny (0-1). He advanced to third on Laynce Nix's single to right and scored on Rollins' hit to right.
Blanton gave up three runs and seven hits in eight innings. Blanton is in the last year of a contract, and he might be dealt before the July 31 deadline. His 17-5 record after the All-Star break since 2008 is the best in the majors.
"I try not to think about it," Blanton said regarding a possible trade. "A couple guys in here have been mentioned in trade rumors. There's nothing we can do. We just have to go out and play the best we can."
Barry Zito allowed three runs and five hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings for the Giants. The lefty remained 8-6 with a 3.75 ERA in an excellent bounce-back season after an injury-plagued 2011.
"I was a little off in the first inning and made two mistakes to Mayberry. I tip my hat to him," Zito said.
Schierholtz led off the game with a homer and connected again with two outs in the eighth to tie it at 3-3. He has just five homers this season, but two multi-homer games.
The Phillies took a 3-2 lead in the seventh on Mayberry's second homer, a high drive to left. All eight of his homers this season have come since May 11.
Mayberry didn't have any RBIs in his previous 39 at-bats before going deep in the fourth to tie it at 2-2. Pablo Sandoval's RBI double in the fourth had put the Giants up 2-1.
Schierholtz crushed his first career leadoff homer to put the Giants up 1-0.
The Phillies answered in the first when Chase Utley hit an RBI triple to deep right-center. They had runners on first and third with one out, but Hunter Pence grounded into a double play for the 13th time this season.
Zito struck out Ryan Howard to leave runners on second and third in the third.
NOTES: Posey is 18-for-36 in his last 10 games. ... Melky Cabrera has a nine-game hitting streak. ... The Phillies designated outfielder Jason Pridie for assignment to make room for Nix. Pridie went 3-for-10 with a double, homer and three RBIs in Philadelphia. Nix was out since May 11 because of a left calf strain. ... A crowd of 44,551 was the 267th straight sellout at Citizens Bank Park. ... Roy Halladay (4-5) takes the mound for the Phillies against former Philadelphia All-Star lefty Randy Wolf (3-6) in the opener of a three-game series against Milwaukee on Monday. ... Ryan Vogelsong (7-4) pitches for the Giants when they return home to start a three-game set against San Diego on Monday.
