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  Wednesday, May 17 7:05pm ET
Rolen gets Phillies rolling with two homers
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Going into Wednesday night's game, the Phillies had just 29 homers, not quite twice the major league high for individuals.

That's why the power display was so impressive.

Scott Rolen
Scott Rolen, right, is congratulated by teammates after hitting his second homer Wednesday.

Scott Rolen homered twice and Ron Gant hit a three-run shot to lead Philadelphia to a 5-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, stopping a four-game losing streak.

"I don't think you need to hit home runs to win but, boy, three-run homers are nice," Phillies manager Terry Francona said.

Gant's homer broke an 0-for-13 slide and put the Phillies ahead 3-2 in the fifth. One out later, Rolen followed with a solo homer, and he added his second in the seventh off Heathcliff Slocumb (1-3) after the Cardinals had tied it at 4 in the top of the inning.

"That was big for us, because things got quiet when they tied it," Francona said.

Randy Wolf (3-2) struck out nine in seven innings as the Phillies beat St. Louis for the first time in five tries this season.

Jeff Brantley pitched the ninth inning for his first save since May 16, 1999, and the 150th of his career. He was activated from the disabled list May 3.

"I haven't been out there in a year, that was fun," Brantley said. "It was very satisfying to get that one after all that I've been through. I was stuck on 149 for a long time."

The Cardinals had overcome a 4-2 deficit by scoring two runs in the seventh. Eric Davis scored on a groundout and Craig Paquette came home on a single by pinch-hitter Placido Polanco.

Cardinals starter Darryl Kile allowed four runs and 10 hits in six innings.

"Kile got some pitches up," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "It's okay to pitch up but sometimes you don't get away with it."

Philadelphia's runs came after it left two runners on in the third and left the bases loaded in the fourth.

Edgar Renteria opened the scoring in the third with a solo home run, his eighth.

The Cardinals made it 2-0 in the fourth on doubles by Davis and Paquette.

Game notes
Philadelphia's Mike Lieberthal's single in the fourth ended an 0-for-16 slump. He finished the game 1-for-4. ... Mark McGwire is 0-for-8 against Wolf with five strikeouts. McGwire has struggled in this series, going 0-for-6 with three walks and four strikeouts. "I think the goatee got him," Wolf said laughing when asked his secret against McGwire. "The guy's 6-5, 240, he's really intimidated by me." ... Rolen hit two home runs in a game for the ninth time in his career. It was the first multihomer game for the Phillies this season.
 


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