Instant Replay: Phillies 3, Cardinals 1

Chase Utley’s two-run homer with one out in the eighth inning proved to be the game-winner in the Phillies' hard-fought, 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals at the Bank on Friday night. Utley’s big hit, combined with a gem from Roy Halladay, improved the team’s record to 51-61.

Utley’s homer came off Cardinals’ lefty reliever Barret Browning, who began the eighth inning by surrendering a single to Jimmy Rollins. Browning balked Rollins to second base and then Juan Pierre bunted him over to third base to set the table for Utley.

Utley took care of the rest.

With the home run, his eighth of the season, Utley passed Bobby Abreu to move into ninth place on the Phillies’ all-time list with 196.

Halladay was again the ace the Phillies had missed early in the season. In eight innings Halladay allowed just two hits without a walk, whiffed eight and allowed one run. He also needed just 99 pitches to get through eight innings against the Cardinals.

Halladay faced 27 hitters and threw 18 first-pitch strikes. He also got 11 groundball outs and allowed just seven balls to leave the infield.

Ex-Phillie Kyle Lohse pitched well, holding the Phillies to just four hits and a run with seven strikeouts in seven innings.

Closer Jonathan Papelbon faced five batters in the ninth to nail down his 25th save of the season. He got the final out of the game on a pick-off of Carlos Beltran, who left first base too soon on an attempted steal.

The Phillies scored a run in the second inning when Ryan Howard led off with a double and Dom Brown followed with an RBI single that was ripped off second baseman Daniel Descalso’s glove and trickled into right field.

Also, third baseman Kevin Frandsen went 2 for 2 with a pair of singles and a walk.

The Cardinals scored in the second when Beltran led off with a long homer into the right-field seats. That was all the offense they could muster until the ninth inning when Allen Craig doubled off Papelbon with one out and Beltran lined a single to right.

The Phillies and Cardinals continue their three-game series on Saturday night when Cliff Lee (2-6, 3.78) faces right-hander Jake Westbrook (11-8, 3.76). Lee last faced the Cardinals on May 25 when he took a no decision despite allowing three runs and eight hits through seven innings.

In five regular-season starts against the Cardinals, Lee is 3-1 with a 1.93 ERA. Lee faced the Cardinals once during the 2011 NLDS when he coughed up a four-run lead in Game 2 on the way to a 5-4 defeat. Lee gave up five runs on 12 hits and two walks in six innings in that loss.

Westbrook lasted just 3 2/3 innings against the Phillies on May 24 when he gave up six runs on eight hits and three walks in a 10-9 defeat. Westbrook is 1-1 with a 5.68 ERA in four career starts against the Phillies.