Instant Replay: Brewers 7, Phillies 4

Follow @JSalisburyCSN

BOX SCORE

MILWAUKEE – The Phillies may have slipped from contention, but that doesn’t make a loss like this any easier to take.

The Phils blew a one-run lead with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning en route to a difficult 7-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday night.

Corey Hart smacked a grand slam off Josh Lindblom to put the Brewers ahead. All four runs were unearned after third baseman Kevin Frandsen made a two-out error in the eighth.

Cliff Lee pitched well and left leading 4-3 after Frandsen’s error.

Starting pitching report
Lee allowed just five hits over 7 2/3 innings. Three of the hits were solo homers. Otherwise, Lee was very good. He walked none and struck out 12. It was his 13th double-digit strikeout game as a Phillie.

Milwaukee’s Marco Estrada allowed eight hits and four runs in five innings. He walked three and struck out just one.

Bullpen report
Lindblom, who came to the Phils in the Shane Victorino trade, was called on to face Ryan Braun in the eighth. He fell behind Braun and eventually walked him intentionally. He then walked Aramis Ramirez, bringing up Hart with the bases loaded. Hart hit a 2-2 pitch over the rightfield wall.

The Phillies' bullpen has allowed nine runs in the eighth inning the last two games.

At the plate
Frandsen gave the Phils the lead with a three-run double in the fifth.

The Phils were 3 for 10 with runners in scoring position and left 13 men on base. They left the bases loaded in the ninth.

Braun belted his league-leading 30th and 31st home runs, both off Lee. He is 8 for 16 with three homers in his career against Lee. Hart had struck out three times before his grand slam.

In the field
Domonic Brown made a highlight play when he climbed the side wall in right and snagged a Carlos Gomez popup that was headed for the first row of seats in the seventh inning. An inning later, Brown could not scale the right field wall to steal Hart’s grand slam.

Laynce Nix became the sixth player to start in centerfield for the Phillies this season.

Rehab road
Placido Polanco, on the DL with a sore back, went 1 for 3 with a single in a minor-league rehab game at Single A Clearwater. He played five innings in the field. Polanco could be activated Monday.

Up next
Righthanders Vance Worley (6-7, 3.97) and Yovani Gallardo (11-8, 3.78) are the pitchers on Friday night.

E-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com