Pirate Galaxy » ups ahead of Haas, Bryant pulled even with

PHILADELPHIA -- Donnie Murphys has done it all against Philadelphia except call his own shot. That could be on the way for the sudden slugger. "All of a sudden, Murphys become Babe Ruth," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. Murphy hit a tiebreaking three-run shot in the ninth inning for his second homer of the game, lifting the Chicago Cubs to a 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night. Murphy drove a 3-1 pitch from Justin De Fratus deep into the left field seats for his third homer in two games. He also had a solo shot in the third. "Dont get used to that," Murphy said. "Im just going through a good stretch right now and getting pitches I can handle." Luis Garcia (0-1) set up Murphys winning homer by issuing three walks, including one to Cole Gillespie after Cody Ransom was picked off first for the second out of the inning. Pedro Strop (2-1) tossed a scoreless eighth for the win and Kevin Gregg worked the ninth for his 23rd save. The day wasnt a complete loss for the Phillies. Two people familiar with the deal told The Associated Press that Chase Utley has agreed to a two-year contract through the 2015 season. The deal reportedly is worth around $27 million. Two-time Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay also is a step closer a return from shoulder surgery and will pitch a simulated game Saturday in Clearwater, Fla. Utley declined to specifically talk about the extension following the loss. "I love Philadelphia," he said. "Ive always envisioned playing here. Ive never envisioned playing anywhere else." Utley was thrown out at home plate trying to score the tying run in the seventh. Utley banged knees with catcher Dioner Navarro on the play. Navarro was tended to by trainers and carted off the field. Cubs left fielder Thomas Neal left the game the same inning with a dislocated right shoulder. Utleys extension and Halladays looming return overshadowed a game between two teams buried in the standings. Utley, who turns 35 on Dec. 17, wouldve been a free agent after the season. Hes in the last year of an $85 million contract signed in January 2007. He wasnt in the starting lineup against the Cubs, but drove in the tying run with a pinch single in the seventh inning. Utley then knocked over Navarro in a violent collision trying to score from second base on a single. Navarro held onto the ball and Utley was out. Navarro was carted off the field. X-rays were negative and the Cubs said he suffered a contusion. "Its just part of baseball," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. "I have no problem with Utley. Hes a hard player and runs the bases good." Utley said he no option but to try and knock the ball loose. "I give him a lot of credit for hanging in there as long as he did, hanging on to the ball," Utley said. "Thats probably a big reason why they won the game." Utley was hitting .277 with 15 homers and 43 RBIs in 84 games. He hasnt played more than 115 games in a season since 2009 because of chronic knee problems. The 35-year-old Halladay also is eligible for free agency at the end of the season but hasnt pitched since right shoulder surgery in May to repair a partially torn rotator cuff and remove a bone spur. He also has some fraying of the labrum. Halladay is 2-4 with an 8.65 ERA in seven starts this season. "Im not interested in coming back and pitching at the same level I was earlier this year," he said. "I want to come back and pitch at a high level." The Phillies won five straight division titles from 2007-2011, including the 2008 World Series. Halladay went 21-10 and threw a perfect game against the Marlins in 2010, his first season in Philadelphia. Utley played a key role in the 2008 World Series and the 2009 NL championship teams. Between 2005-09, Utley averaged a .301 batting average, 29 homers and 101 RBIs. One of the all-time fan favourites in Philadelphia, Utley got a big ovation when he came to the plate in the seventh. He lined a single up the middle off Matt Guerrier to score John Mayberry Jr. Mayberry opened the inning with a double. Neal left the game when he hurt his right arm trying to throw out Mayberry at second base. Neal instantly grabbed his throwing arm and was down for several minutes before he walked off the field. Junior Lake moved to left and David DeJesus came into the game to play centre. The Cubs said Neal dislocated his right shoulder. "I dont think Ive ever seen anyone dislocate a shoulder making a throw," Sveum said. The Phillies wasted a chance to bust the game open when James Russell retired Dom Brown with the bases loaded to end the seventh. Travis Wood struck out seven and allowed two runs in 6 1-3 innings for the Cubs. Brown connected off Wood for his 25th homer in the second. Murphy tied it at 1 with his leadoff drive against Cole Hamels in the third, and Lake made it 2-1 with a bloop RBI single in the fifth. Hamels, who hasnt won since July 9, struck out three and gave up two runs in seven innings. The former All-Star left-hander remained stuck with a miserable 4-13 record. NOTES: The Cubs snapped a five-game losing streak. ... The Cubs send Jeff Samardzija (6-10, 3.78 ERA) to the mound against Ethan Martin (0-1) in Thursdays series finale. ... Utley flied out in the ninth.Andy Pettitte Jersey . It is a cliché dragged out by fans and pundits regularly when discussions take place around which teams are better than others. George Springer Jersey . The 25-year-old Japanese star has officially been posted by his club team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. http://www.baseballastrosproshop.com/nolan-ryan-astros-jersey/ .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. Lance McCullers Astros Jersey . Thats not a comment on the suspension that banished the Portland Winterhawks general manager and coach from his Western Hockey League teams bench for most of the 2012-13 season. Jimmy Wynn Jersey . Michell Burger, a woman who lives on an estate next to Pistorius gated community, said she and her husband were awoken by the screams in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 14 last year, when Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp by shooting four times through a door in his bathroom.NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- Jay Haas got the opening he needed Sunday to become the second-oldest winner in PGA Tour Champions history.Haas -- at 62 years, 10 months, 7 days -- took advantage of Bart Bryants closing bogey to get into a playoff and win the Toshiba Classic with a birdie on the first extra hole.Its been a while since Ive been in that position to win, and to pull it off today was awfully special, Haas said.Haas trails only Mike Fetchick, the 1985 Hilton Head Seniors Invitational winner at 63 years to the day, on the age list.Just to win, to know that I can do it again at 62, is pretty amazing, said Haas, also the 2007 winner at Newport Beach Country Club.After opening with bogey-free rounds of 64 and 63 to take a five-stroke lead into the day, Haas found himself a stroke behind Bryant -- two groups ahead playing the reachable 18th -- and facing a 7-foot par putt on the par-3 17th.Im thinking Im either going to be two or three behind, Haas said. When I made that one and then looked up and saw that we were tied, it really gave me a boost.Haas parred the 18th -- missing a 15-footer -- for a 1-under 70 to match Bryant (64) at 16-under 197.Im disappointed right now, Bryant said. To bogey the 18th hole, a reachable par 5, is extremely disappointing. Then to not make a very good run in the playoff is just fairly inexcusable to hit the two shots that I hit.Haas won his 18th title on the 50-and-over tour and first since 2014. He won nine times on the PGA Tour and captained the United States winning Presidents Cup team last year in South Korea.The victory was his first with wife Jan as his caddie.Maybe shell retire on top now, Haas joked.On 18 in regulation, the 53-year-old Bryant hit into the left greenside bunker in two and then struck something under the ball in the sand that sent the ball right and long. He three-putted from about 40 feet, missing a 6-footer to the left.When it was going down in the sand, it just didnt go down, it just stopped, Bryant said about the clubhead on the bunker shot. It didnt get underneath the ball, so I kind of caught a little bbit the edge of the club where normally you catch that shot in the middle or high on the club.ddddddddddddHaving said that, theres always rub of the green, theres always things that happen. You have to manage that well and you have to go forward, and I didnt recover and thats why I lost the golf tournament.In the playoff, Bryant drove so far left that he was closer to the 10th fairway, then hit over the trees and into a grandstand to the right of the green. Haas hit the fairway, and his second settled on top of light rough, also right of the green. Bryants chip raced across the green and off, and Haas hit his inside a foot to set up the winning birdie.I felt like I needed to make a 4, that he was going to up-and-down from there, or even might chip it in, Haas said. I felt like I needed to make a birdie. I couldnt play conservatively at that point and probably hit the best chip Ive ever hit really under the circumstances.Playing two groups ahead of Haas, Bryant pulled even with a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-4 16th and took the lead with a downhill, breaking 20-footer on 17. Bryant birdied six of the first 12 holes, hitting inside 5 feet on the last three on Nos. 9, 11 and 12.Haas hit left into the water on the short par-3 fourth en route to a double-bogey. He hit a 6-iron to a foot to set up a birdie on No. 8, made a 5-foot birdie putt on 12 and closed with six pars.Larry Mize (65) and Billy Andrade (66) tied for third at 14 under.John Daly, playing alongside Bryant, had an eventful even-par 71 to tie for 19th at 9 under. His scorecard nearly as colorful as his pants, Daly didnt make a par until the eighth hole. He drove the 319-yard first to set up a 10-foot eagle putt, made a 40-footer for birdie on No. 2 and two-putted for birdie on the par-5 third. He made double-bogeys on the next two holes, also hitting into the water on No. 4, then birdied No. 6 and bogeyed No. 7. After a string of pars, he closed birdie-bogey-bogey-birdie. ' ' '