The Chicago Cubs dropped two of three in Boston and would head home for a series with the Philadelphia Phillies. Chicago had fallen to 13-11 on the year, but still held a slim lead in the National League Central.
Chicago Cubs vs Philadelphia Phillies: Series Recap
Phillies Rout Cubs in Game 1
Game 1 started with a rain delay of about two hours, and the Phillies took advantage. Brett Anderson started for the Cubs, but Philadelphia ended his day about as quickly as it started. The Phillies scored seven runs in Anderson’s 1.1 innings pitched, and the rout was on from there.
Anderson’s counterpart, Vince Velasquez, gave up just one earned run in five innings. Javier Baez‘s solo shot in the bottom of the fifth was the lone run given up by Velasquez.
The Phillies would continue their rout in the seventh. Michael Saunders hit a solo homer and Freddy Galvis added a two-run blast. The Cubs would score a second run in the bottom of the seventh, but the Phillies were too much. Philadelphia destroyed Chicago by a score of 10-2.
Chicago Avenges Game 1 Loss in Game 2
Southpaw Jon Lester was on the mound for the Cubs in Game 2 of the series, while the Phillies started Jeremy Hellickson. Both teams would score early with a solo home run each (Aaron Altherr for Philadelphia and Kris Bryant for Chicago) in the first.
Baez would give the Cubs the lead in the third with a solo home run of his own, but the Phillies would tie things up in the top of the fourth. It was all Chicago after that. Kyle Schwarber would blast a three-run homer and Ben Zobrist would double in Bryant in the bottom of the fourth.
The Cubs would go on to score another two runs in the fifth to win 8-3, and avenge the blowout loss in Game 1.
Cubs Grind Out Game 3 Win
Cubs ace, and former NL Cy-Young winner, Jake Arrieta was on the mound in Game 3 of the series. Much like the rest of the early season, the Cubs opponent scored in the first inning. Philadelphia would get two in the first inning, one in the fourth, and one in the eighth, but Chicago’s four-run sixth inning was enough to hold the lead.
Wade Davis came in for the Cubs in the ninth and got his seventh save of the year. Chicago would take a 2-1 lead in the series with a one-run win, 5-4 in Game 3.
Game 4
John Lackey took the mound for the Cubs in the series finale. For the first time during the series, Chicago didn’t give up a first inning run and also scored first.
Addison Russell got the scoring going with an RBI double in the first. Matt Szczur would make the game 2-0 for the Cubs in the second with an RBI double of his own. The Phillies would do what Chicago had done all series by mounting a comeback of their own. Altherr would hit an RBI single in the third, and Maikel Franco would homer in the fourth to make it 2-2.
The two teams went back and forth, trading run for run. It was all tied up at four going to the bottom of the 13th inning. Albert Almora would lead off with a double. After a Baez groundout, Zobrist was intentionally walked. Then on a ground ball to second, Galvis would make an errant throw to first on the double-play try, and Almora would come around to score. Cubs walked off in the 13th, 5-4.
Overview
The Cubs took the four-game series against the Phillies 3-1, and improved to 16-12 on the year. On Friday they opened up their three-game series against Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees at Wrigley Field.
