Lidgedown1

Kevin McAlpin covers the Phillies for 97.5 The Fanatic.  Follow him on Twitter (@KevinMcAlpin)
 
On a day where the Phillies lost half their infield to the DL, the reserves stepped-up and earned a much-needed extra innings win.  Both Brian Schneider and Wilson Valdez hit three-run home runs, and the Phillies ended up pulling out a 9-6 win in 10 innings.  It was a roller coaster win as Brad Lidge blew his second save of the season but got the win as the Phillies jumped all over Arthur Rhodes in the 10th. 

Roy Halladay (9-6, 2.29) gets the nod this afternoon in the series finale.  Friday, Doc tossed seven shutout innings against his former squad and snapped a three-game losing streak.  For Halladay, the emotional effects of facing former teammates were eased as the game was played in Philadelphia.  "It's sometimes tough facing guys you know" said Halladay.  "Being here kind of seems like a regular game for me this year."  Another factor that made Halladay's night easier was the fact that the Phillies offense finally gave him some run support.  Aaron Harang (6-7, 5.07) will toe the rubber for the Reds and has had similar run support issues.  Last Friday, Harang went seven innings giving up just three runs en route to the win.  In his two previous starts, the Reds offense was held scoreless and Harang was saddled with two straight losses.

With last night's win, the Phillies improved to 13-12 in June.  It might not sound all that glamorous, but a year ago, the Phils were 4 games under .500 (11-15).  The 2010 Phillies have already proven to be a resilient bunch, playing the majority of their season without Jimmy Rollins.  They'll have to hold down the fort once again and carry on without two major pieces of both their offense AND defense.