With young guns Travis Wood and Yovani Gallardo for Philly and Carolina, respectively, it looked like it would be a pitcher's battle. And for awhile, it certainly was. Wood retired the first six batters he faced -- four by strikeout.
But the hometown Mudcats finally broke through in the bottom of the 3rd when Michael Young doubled home Alex Gonzalez for the first run of the game. Carolina's lead was short lived, however, as Nelson Cruz led off the top of the 4th with a home run to tie the score. In the bottom of the 5th, Philly reliever Kyle McClellan -- who entered the game the previous inning after Wood was injured -- gave up a solo shot to Troy Tulowitzki to put the Mudcats ahead again. But once more, the lead wouldn't last long as David Murphy knocked in Albert Pujols with a single in the top of the 6th.The bullpens would trade zeroes for the next five innings, until the top of the 12th, when the newly acquired David Wright led off the inning with a home run to put the Endzone Animals on top. But Carolina answered in the bottom of the inning with a one-out home run from Young.
After an uneventful 13th, the Endzone Animals looked to put it away in the top of the 14th when Ryan Raburn -- another new addition -- slammed a two-run home run off Evan Meek to make it 5-3. But the Mudcats once again refused to go gentle into that good night. With two outs in the bottom of the 14th, Tulowitzki crushed a Ramon Ramirez slider deep into the night, a two-run blast that again tied the score, now at 5 apiece. Carolina's Dan Wheeler then held the Animals scoreless for the next two innings.In the bottom of the 16th, the Mudcats finally started a rally. Lance Berkman, who entered the game way back in the 12th as a pinch hitter, drew a five-pitch walk. Young then followed it up with a single -- his third hit of the game -- to put runners on first and second.
Philly pitcher Sean Marshall -- the sixth reliever of the game (remember, Wood left in the 4th with an injury) and the last man in the Animals' bullpen -- was clearly gassed, but manager Steve "Bye Bye" Balboni had no one else to turn to. Marshall walked Tulowitzki on four pitches to load the bases.Balboni told Jered Weaver -- the following day's scheduled starter -- to start warming up. But Marshall bore down and struck out Hideki Matsui and Chris B. Young. Now it all came down to Yorvit Torrealba.
Marshall got ahead 1-2, and Torrealba appeared to swing and miss at strike three in the dirt -- but the home plate umpire ruled the pitch had been foul tipped. Marshall and the infielders were already walking off the field and were incredulous at the call. Animals catcher Ramon Hernandez had be restrained as he argued with the ump, to no avail. Replays were inconclusive. After a delay of several minutes -- which included the ejection of Balboni -- the game resumed. A visibly upset Marshall then threw the next three pitches well outside the strike zone, walking in the winning run.Carolina's controversial win left the two teams tied in the standings at 10 games over .500 as they battle a wildcard spot.
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