Comedy of errors

PHILADELPHIA – From no hits to no defense.

Reds right fielder Jay Bruce missed a seventh-inning line drive after losing the ball in the lights, allowing two runs to score, and the Philadelphia Phillies took advantage of Cincinnati’s shoddy fielding to earn a 7-4 win Friday night for a 2-0 lead in the best-of-5 N.L. division series.

After Roy Halladay threw the second no-hitter in postseason history in Philadelphia’s 4-0 victory Wednesday, the Reds were determined to show their resilience.

Brandon Phillips hit a leadoff homer on Roy Oswalt’s fourth pitch and the Reds built a 4-0 lead before their defense and bullpen unraveled.

“I feel like I let my team down,” Bruce said. “It was in the lights the whole time. I tried to stick with it. It was a pretty helpless feeling.”

The Phillies rallied against hard-throwing rookie Aroldis Chapman and his triple-digit fastball after soft-tossing starter Bronson Arroyo kept Philadelphia’s hitters off balance.

The two-time defending N.L. champions can close out the series in Game 3 on Sunday night in Cincinnati. Cole Hamels, the 2008 World Series MVP, pitches for the Phillies. Johnny Cueto is on the mound for the Reds.

Leading 4-3, the Reds turned to Chapman to protect the slim margin in the seventh. The 22-year-old Cuban came in firing, but he hit Chase Utley with a 101 mph fastball leading off.

After Ryan Howard struck out, Jayson Werth hit a bouncer to third baseman Scott Rolen. Utley beat the throw to second on a close call. Phillips threw his arms up and Reds manager Dusty Baker came out to argue briefly.

Jimmy Rollins then hit a liner to right that Bruce turned into a two-base error. The lights were the culprit, Bruce said, not the sea of white-and-red “Fightin’ Phils” rally towels.

The ball rolled past Bruce, and Utley scored the tying run. Werth scored without a play when Phillips dropped the relay throw for another error, and the Phillies took a 5-4 lead.

“It’s embarrassing,” Bruce said. “I take great pride in my defense, but there was nothing I can do about it.”

Raul Ibanez followed with a single and Carlos Ruiz hit an RBI grounder for a 6-4 lead.

Werth hit an RBI single off Nick Masset in the eighth to cap the scoring.

The Reds finished second in the N.L. with a club-record .988 fielding percentage, but four errors led to five unearned runs. Their relievers hit three batters, who all ended up scoring. Philadelphia had eight hits, all singles.

Arroyo allowed two unearned runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander used an assortment of slow curves and other off-speed pitches to baffle the Phillies. He reached 90 mph on the radar gun just once, on his 38th pitch.

Two defensive gaffes by two of Cincinnati’s best fielders allowed the Phillies to get back in it in the fifth. Then wildness from the Reds’ relievers made it even closer an inning later.

Phillips, who led N.L. second baseman in fielding percentage, booted Victorino’s two-out grounder to put two runners on in the fifth. Then Rolen, a seven-time Gold Glove winner, bobbled Polanco’s grounder to load the bases.

Utley followed with a two-run single to cut it to 4-2. The stoic Utley slapped his hands together at first base in an uncharacteristic display of emotion while the sellout crowd roared. But Arroyo fanned Howard to end the inning.

Arthur Rhodes plunked Ruiz on the left knee with a two-out pitch to put two runners on in the sixth. Logan Ondrusek came in and hit pinch-hitter Ben Francisco on the bill of his helmet to load the bases. Francisco’s helmet spun off, but he was fine.

Shane Victorino then walked to force in a run and get the Phillies within 4-3. Polanco grounded out to end the threat.