Great Eighth: Four-run eighth leads Phils past Cardinals

Ben Revere hit the go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning.

The Phillies left the go-ahead run on third base in the sixth and seventh innings. Ben Revere was the one who stranded the runner in the sixth by grounding into a double play with the bases loaded to end the inning.

Redemption is oh so sweet. 

Revere supplied the go-ahead RBI in a four-run eighth inning that led the Phillies to a 7-3 win over the Cardinals in the series finale on Sunday night at Citizens Bank Park.

The Cardinals struck first just two batters into the game as Matt Carpenter belted a solo home run to put the Redbirds on the board.

The Phillies had a quick answer in the first. Jimmy Rollins tripled to lead off the inning. After a John Mayberry Jr. walk, Chase Utley singled to tie the game and move Mayberry to third. Mayberry scored on a sac fly by Ryan Howard.

Kyle Kendrick settled in after a 33-pitch first inning to work into the sixth. There, he ran into more trouble.

With runners on second and third, David Freese hit an RBI groundout to tie the score.

After a strange play on a Pete Kozma single that saw Kozma advance to second and Matt Adams stop at third, the Cardinals re-gifted the Phillies by attempting to squeeze the runner home with pitcher Jake Westbrook. The play failed and the game remained tied.

Antonio Bastardo started the seventh. An error by Utley allowed Jon Jay to reach second. After a sac bunt moved him to third and Carlos Beltran reached on a walk, Chad Durbin entered. He promptly allowed the go-ahead RBI single to Allen Craig.

But Durbin, who had allowed all seven inherited runners to score this season, finally stranded one and two of his own as well in working around a bases-loaded jam. 

The Phillies quickly rallied back. After Erik Kratz singled to lead off the inning, Laynce Nix worked a 10-pitch at-bat. On the 10th pitch, he drove a double to left-center scoring Kratz from first.

But again, Nix would only make it to third before being stranded.

Mike Adams pitched a perfect eighth, setting up the Phillies with a chance at the lead. They didn't waste the opportunity the third time around.

Michael Young reached on an infield single, extending his hitting streak to 12 games, with one out. Domonic Brown followed with a single moving Young to third. That put Revere in the same spot as he was in the sixth, one out with the go-ahead run on third.

This time, he smashed an RBI single up the middle. On the very next pitch from Cardinals' reliever Mitchell Boggs, Kratz busted the game open, belting a three-run shot to left.

Jonathan Papelbon came on to finish the job, giving the Phillies a series split in the four-game set with the Cards.

The 8-11 Phillies round out the homestand with a four-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was announced earlier in the day that the series would open with a fresh face.

Jonathan Pettibone will make his major-league debut in the opener facing A.J. Burnett. Game time of Monday's opener is 7:05 p.m.

Kevin Durso is a contributor for Philliedelphia. You can follow him on twitter @KDursoPhilsNet.