DENVER (AP) — Jake McGee was second-guessing himself after throwing a breaking pitch that cost the Colorado Rockies the game.
Pinch-hitter Tommy Joseph turned on a slider from the hard-throwing reliever to hit a go-ahead, three-run home run in the seventh inning, and the Philadelphia Phillies rallied past the Colorado Rockies 5-3 on Friday night.
"Probably should have stuck with my best pitch, the fastball," McGee said. "But I made that pitch and I hung it over the plate."
Vince Velasquez (8-2) allowed two runs over six innings and won his third straight decision since coming off the 15-day disabled list with a right biceps strain on June 27. He struck out six and walked two on 98 pitches.
The Phillies snapped a five-game losing streak to the Rockies.
Rockies starter Jon Gray left the game with a 2-0 lead and runners on the corners with one out in the seventh. The Phillies put up four runs in their next two at-bats off McGee (0-3), starting with Cesar Hernandez's RBI single followed by Joseph's home run to left field.
"I don't want to leave (Gray) in position to take a loss," Rockies manager Wat Weiss said of his decision to lift Gray. "He had two base runners at that point. I like the matchup with McGee."
Freddy Galvis scored on an error in the ninth to extend the lead to 5-3. Jeanmar Gomez got four outs to earn his 24th save.
Gray struck out eight and walked two in one of his strongest outings of the year. Trevor Story drove in two runs and Carlos Gonzalez brought in another for Colorado.
"I was just locked in from the beginning," Gray said. "I knew everything was going to work well judging by how I felt in the bullpen. I was ready to go in attack-mode."
Story's second RBI of the game was a line-drive single off Andrew Bailey to trim the deficit to 4-3 in the seventh. Later in the inning, Mark Reynolds grounded out with the bases loaded off Hector Neris.
CATCH OF THE NIGHT
Tyler Goeddel made a diving catch in left field of D.J. LeMahieu's sinking blooper with a runner in scoring position in the eighth and the Phillies clinging to a 4-3 lead.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rockies: OF Gerardo Parra (ankle) participated in running drills for the first time since he went on the 15-day disabled list in the middle of June, Weiss said.
UP NEXT
Phillies: RHP Jerad Eickhoff (6-9, 3.30 ERA) is 4-2 and has allowed three or fewer runs in his last seven starts.
Rockies: LHP Tyler Anderson (0-3, 3.03 ERA) has been solid, but the Rockies have scored just four runs with him in the game in his five starts.
