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Dodgers rally in 9th to seize command of NL series

| From afp.com

Mark Loretta singled home Casey Blake for the winning run as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied in the ninth to defeat St. Louis 3-2 in game two of their first-round playoff series.

Ronnie Belliard tied it setting the stage for Loretta's heroics as the Dodgers took advantage of an outfield error by Cardinals Matt Holliday with two outs in the final inning of Thurday's game at Dodger Stadium.

"I knew he would come hard at me," Loretta said of Cardinals pitcher Ryan Franklin. "I was fortunate that I found a hole."

In the other NL game Thursday, Torvit Torrealba, who hit just two homers this year, belted a two-run homer as the Colorado Rockies beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-4 in game two of their series.

The Dodgers jumped all over Franklin in the ninth. Loretta, who was zero-for-15 lifetime versus Franklin, chopped a game-winning single into left-centre field, scoring Blake with the winning run. The Dodgers had nobody on base before Holliday's mistake.

The ninth inning meltdown spoiled a superb performance from Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright. He didn't give up a hit until Andre Ethier's homer in the fourth and dominated through the eighth.

The Cardinals enjoyed a 2-1 lead when Wainwright left the game

The Dodgers now lead the best-of-five series 2-0 with game three set for Saturday in St. Louis.

"This series is far from over," Loretta said. "We have to keep battling hard and hope we win."

It marks just the second time this season, St. Louis has lost back-to-back starts from Chris Carpenter and Wainwright,

Torrealba's home run was his first in five months for the Rockies who levelled their best-of-five series at one game each in front of a crowd of 46,528 at Citizen Bank Park.

The series now switches to Denver for game three on Saturday.

Carlos Gonzalez also had three hits for the Rockies who got to last year's World Series MVP Cole Hamels. Phillies ace Hamels, who might have had other things on his mind, allowed seven hits and four runs in five innnings of work.

Hamels had to leave the game after being pulled because his wife had gone into labour with the couple's first child.

Dexter Fowler hit two sacrifice fly balls, as Colorado snapped a five-game playoffs losing streak.

The Rockies were swept in the 2007 World Series against Boston.