Game Forty-Six – Cubs 6, Phillies 2
WP – Jon Lester (5-3) LP – Adam Morgan (1-3) Save – None
Jorge Soler drove in the first two runs, the second on the Cubs’ longest home run of the season. David Ross hit the 100th homer of his career, a three-run shot in the fourth. And Kris Bryant smacked the third home run of the day, a mammoth blast in the fifth. The Cubs dealt with two rain delays and beat the Phillies in the opener of the weekend series on Friday afternoon.
The Cubs offense stepped up and scored six runs before the rains came and delayed the game twice, once in the seventh and again in the ninth. The Cubs scored six runs on 10 hits with two walks. Jon Lester had some breathing room after the four-run fourth inning and pitched a good game.
Jorge Soler (2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI) had another excellent game at the plate.
Soler singled in Ben Zobrist (2-for-4 with a double and a run scored) with a two-out base knock in the first inning.
Soler broke up the 1-1 tie in the fourth with a majestic homer off the video board in left center. The ball was projected to travel 461 feet, the longest homer by any Cubs’ player this season, with an exit velocity of 108.3 mph.
The Cubs kept the pressure on Adam Morgan in the fourth following the Soler homer. Addison Russell (0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored) worked a one out walk and moved to second on a Javier Baez (2-for-4 with a run scored) single to left. David Ross (1-for-4 with a home run and three RBI) stepped in with two on and one out with the Cubs leading by one run.
David Ross unloaded on a 1-0 pitch from Adam Morgan. The ball sailed over the wall in left, hit off the Nuveen sign and bounced onto Waveland. Ross’ 100th career home run, a three-run shot, gave the Cubs a 5-1 lead.
Kris Bryant (1-for-3 with a home run and a walk) completed the trifecta and obliterated a 1-2 pitch from the Phillies’ lefty. Bryant’s blast, his 11t of the year, ended up on Waveland Ave. and the Cubs took a 6-1 lead.
Jon Lester bounced back from his bad outing in San Francisco with a quality start Friday afternoon. Lester pitched into the seventh inning and kept the Phillies off balance for a majority of his day. Lester gave up six hits, only one was squared up, a double by Odubel Herrera in the seventh inning.
The first run off Lester scored in the third inning and tied the game at one. The Cubs defense gave the Phillies not only extra outs but free bases. Lester made the pitches to get out of the inning without surrendering any runs.
With Peter Bourjos on first base and one out, Freddy Galvis hit a fly to center that Dexter Fowler ran in and dropped. Fowler threw the ball to third that Javier Baez allowed to roll under his legs. The Cubs were charged with two errors on the same play. The Phillies had runners on second and third with one out. Maikel Franco hit a sac fly to Matt Szczur in right field that allowed Bourjos to tag and score. Lester caught Tommy Joseph looking to end the third.
Jon Lester started the seventh. Lester retired Bourjos on a pop out to Baez at third base. Odubel Herrera doubled to left and Joe Maddon went to his pen for Pedro Strop. The game was placed in rain delay after Strop threw a strike to Freddy Galvis. When play resumed 56 minutes later, Trevor Cahill took over on the mound. Galvis singled. Herrera moved to third and scored on an infield single to third off the bat of Franco … and closed the book on Lester.
Jon Lester was charged with two runs, one earned, on six hits (one for extra bases) with two walks and seven strikeouts. Lester made 105 pitches, 69 for strikes, in 6 1/3 innings.
Joe Maddon had to use three pitchers to complete Friday’s game. Pedro Strop threw one pitch, a strike to Freddy Galvis, in relief of Lester. But he did not return after the 56-minute rain delay. Trevor Cahill was called on when play resumed. Cahill completed 1 2/3 innings and allowed three hits and no walks while striking out three. Cahill started the ninth but did not return after the second rain delay (37 minutes).
Hector Rondon recorded the last three outs on nine pitches, five for strikes. Rondon gave up a hit. The game ended on an excellent 3-6-1 double play.
With Friday’s win, the Cubs improved to 32-14 on the season.
Weather permitting … Kyle Hendricks is scheduled to face right-hander Jerad Eickhoff on Saturday afternoon (1:20pm CDT) in game two with the Phillies.