Losing Ugly

Expos Beat Sloppy Phils on Vidro's Slam; Giambi Blasts 2 HR

MONTREAL — In a word: Ugly.

The Phillies coughed up a three-run lead in the eighth and a one-run lead in the ninth as the Montreal Expos won by taking advantage of miscommunication and all-around sloppiness. Jose Vidro crushed a walk-off grand slam with no outs in the 10th off reliever Hector Mercado to give the Phils the 13-9 loss.

The loss drops the Phils to 20-29 and a Major League-worst 4-20 on the road.

	Jeremy Giambi pushed his season home run total to 10 after his two-homer game, Saturday in Montreal . (AP)

But as far as dramatic enterances go, Jeremy Giambi's introduction to Phillies fans is a show stopper.

Giambi hit two home runs in his first two at bats as a Phillie and Pat Burrell added a two-run shot in the fifth inning as the Phils erased a 5-2 deficit to jump to a 8-5 lead heading into the eighth inning. and a 9-8 lead heading into the ninth. However, the Expos battled to tie the game with three in the eighth and one in the ninth, setting up Vidro's heroics in the 10th.

"It wasn't pretty, but we won it," Expos manager Frank Robinson said. "I don't know what it is about this ballclub, when their backs are against the wall, they respond."

Meanwhile, Giambi homered in his first two NL at-bats, but closer Jose Mesa had his third blown save in the ninth.

"It's just unbelievable how much can happen to one team in one stretch," Phillies reliever Ricky Bottalico said.

Vidro, who earlier extended his hitting streak to a major league-high 19 games, homered on the first pitch he saw from left-hander Hector Mercado (1-1) with none out in the 10th, delighting the Olympic Stadium crowd of 8,370.

It was Montreal's first game-winning homer since Vladimir Guerrero connected against Philadelphia's Rheal Cormier last July 18.

"I knew it was gone," Vidro said. "I'm just happy the ball was out and we won the game."

T.J. Tucker (3-0) won despite allowing Tomas Perez's RBI single in the ninth.

Mercado walked Brad Wilkerson and Wil Cordero in the 10th, and Tucker reached on a bunt single to load the bases before Vidro drove the next pitch over the left-field wall for his second career grand slam.

"Mercado threw a slider — I saw it right away," Vidro said. "As soon as he threw it, I saw it spinning and I put a nice swing on it and it went for a homer. I don't know what else to say — I'm too happy now."

Vidro moved past Chicago White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko and Boston's Johnny Damon for the longest hitting streak in the majors this season.

Making his first appearance with Philadelphia since he was acquired from Oakland on Wednesday, Giambi hit a two-run shot in the second and a solo homer in the fourth off Expos starter Carl Pavano.

Burrell hit a two-run homer — his 13th — in the fifth, and Travis Lee added an RBI double in the eighth to put the Phillies up 8-5.

The Expos caught a break to start their eighth-inning rally when Troy O'Leary's popup fell untouched behind second baseman Marlon Anderson for a double after he was called off by center fielder Jason Michaels.

Orlando Cabrera hit an RBI single to draw Montreal within two. Bottalico got two outs before walking Wilkerson, but pinch-hitter Wil Cordero's grounder caromed into the outfield off third baseman Scott Rolen's glove for an RBI double, and Wilkerson came home with the tying run when Burrell dropped the ball in left field for an error.

"You've got to get 27 outs," said Phillies bench coach Gary Varsho, who is managing during this three-game series while Larry Bowa serves a suspension. "The popup that fell in opened up a can of worms for us, and they capitalized on it."

Perez's RBI single in the ninth put Philadelphia back ahead 9-8, but Montreal tied it with three straight hits, including Vidro's leadoff infield single and O'Leary's broken-bat RBI single off Mesa.

"I don't know what was more important, the single in the ninth or the grand slam," Vidro said. "We were able to come back in the ninth against a big pitcher like Mesa. We battled in the ninth against a tough pitcher."

Philadelphia starter David Coggin left with the Phillies trailing 5-2 after three innings.

After Giambi's first NL homer put Philadelphia up 2-0 in the second, Montreal came back with four in the bottom half on Wilkerson's two-run double and RBI singles by Pavano and Jose Macias.

The Expos took advantage of Coggin's two wild pitches in the third as Cabrera scored Montreal's fifth run to increase the lead to three.

Giambi homered for the second straight at-bat leading off the fourth to make it 5-3.

Pavano, who has one win in his last six starts, allowed five runs — four earned — and five hits in three-plus innings.

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