Jamie Moyer wasn't at his best for Philadelphia on Sunday, but recorded his 252nd career win. (Darren Calabrese/Canadian Press)
The Philadelphia Phillies overcame three Toronto home runs to post a 5-4 comeback win over the Blue Jays on Sunday.
Chase Utley tripled to drive in the go-ahead runs in a four-run fourth inning for the Phillies after Toronto led 4-1.
Philadelphia starter Jamie Moyer and relievers Chan-Ho Park, Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge kept the Blue Jays off the scoreboard the rest of the way. Toronto threatened late against Madson and Lidge, but could not capitalize.
The 46-year-old Moyer (6-6) earned the win despite giving up two home runs to Aaron Hill and another longball to Jose Bautista over the first four innings. He has now yielded 19 homers this season, putting him first in the majors in the dubious category.
Moyer struck out four and walked two in five innings pitched. With the victory, he passed Hall of Famer Bob Gibson and moved into 43rd position with 252 all-time wins.
Toronto pitchers were overly cautious against former Jayson Werth, who had homered five times in five games against the Blue Jays over the past two weeks. Werth walked four times and singled.
Brian Tallet (5-5), reliable since being thrust into a starting role for Toronto, struggled on Sunday. Tallet was on the hook for all of Philadelphia's runs, walking six and allowing eight hits in six innings of work.
Toronto third baseman Scott Rolen extended his hit streak to 16 games with a double in the third. He finished with two hits and is now 32-of-66 (.485) since his streak started on June 8.
Tallet was in a spot of trouble in the first after Werth walked and Chase Utley doubled, but he rebounded to strike out big Ryan Howard before inducing rookie John Mayberry Jr. into a long fly ball to end the threat.
Hill smacked his 18th home run in the first, setting a new franchise record for Toronto second basemen. The drive hooked inside the left-field foul pole.
Bautista got to Moyer with two out and first baseman Lyle Overbay aboard in the second for a 3-0 lead.
The Phillies got one back in the third when Howard's ground out brought Shane Victorino across the plate. Werth landed at third, but Tallet struck out Mayberry to end the inning.
Hill replied promptly, taking Moyer's first offering in the bottom of the inning over the left-field wall.
Tallet yielded singles to Pedro Feliz and Eric Bruntlett in the fourth and walked Chris Coste to set up Philadelphia's big fourth inning. Carlos Ruiz and Victorino earned RBIs despite making outs to bring the Phillies to within 4-3.
After Werth singled, he and Victorino easily came home when Utley bashed a pitch off the centre-field wall for a triple.
Moyer settled down after being provided with the boost from his teammates. His only blemish from that point on was hitting Rolen with a pitch in the fifth inning.
Toronto catcher Raul Chavez helped end another run possibility for the Phillies in the sixth when he threw out Ruiz attempting to steal third. Wells then made a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch in centre for the final out.
Chan-Ho Park came on in the sixth for Moyer and recorded six consecutive outs.
Rolen hit a one-out single in the eighth off Madson, ending a streak of eight consecutive Toronto outs. The Blue Jays then caught a break when Bruntlett botched Adam Lind's ground ball, but Alex Rios and pinch-hitter Russ Adams could not cash the runners in.
The Blue Jays again threatened in their last at bat. Chavez led off with a bunt single and Marco Scutaro walked, but Hill popped up. John McDonald вЂ" a pinch runner for Chavez вЂ" then made a huge error, getting caught in a rundown for the penultimate out.
