Phillies take two wins in Chicago – Philly Sports
Alec Bohm of the Philadelphia Phillies runs the bases and scores on a single by Whit Merrifield during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
After their most recent home game, the Phillies will go on the road for a six-game series. Three games at the friendly Wrigley Field would be the first stop for Major League Baseball’s top team.
After tying the Miami Marlins, the Phillies were looking to get back on track against a Cubs team that has struggled this season under new manager Craig Counsell.
The Phillies fielded some of their best pitchers to win the series and were able to win the first two games before losing the third game.
Game 1
Rookie Michael Mercado would get the ball on Tuesday night in his first career start. It’s a great place for the first career start. This would be Michael’s second Major League appearance after appearing as a relief pitcher just a few games earlier in Detroit.
Looking to provide some running support for the young arm and fill the void left by Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner was expected to carry the Phils’ lineup in this game. Trea hit two home runs and had three hits on the night, scoring four of the team’s six runs against the Cubs.
Turner hit a ball down the road and used his offense to give Mercado a comfortable lead during his five innings. The rookie’s record for the night was 5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB and 4 K. He picked up the win and the Phillies won the game 6-4.
Game 2
Zack Wheeler took over the leadoff spot on Wednesday night as the Phillies sought another series win. Wheeler, the favorite for the NL Cy Young Award, would be a much different challenge than rookie Michael Mercado.
Wheeler once again performed well, throwing six innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs, and striking out seven hitters. Despite being one of the best pitchers in the National League, the Phillies had a record of just 9-8 before Wheeler started.
He was not involved in the decision, as Matt Strahm gave the Cubs the equalizing run in the bottom of the 7th inning. Strahm has been great for most of the season, but has apparently shown in his last few appearances that he is also human.
However, the Phillies struck back in the 8th inning. Alec Bohm hit his 11th home run into the stands to make it 5-3. Jose Alvarado picked up his 13th save of the season and the Phillies won another series.
Game 3
On the Fourth of July there were lots of fireworks at Wrigley Field.
Unfortunately for the Phillies, they were the victim of fireworks and lost Game 3 10-2.
Cristopher Sanchez took the mound for the first time since his shutout against the Miami Marlins. Baseball can humble you very quickly and Sanchez learned to recognize that quickly. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Cristopher allowed the Cubs 5 earned runs. A three-run home run by Ian Happ would do the most damage, but the Chicago hitters had timed Sanchez well.
After escaping the jam, the Cubs started hitting the young left-hander again in the next inning. Cristopher was relieved by Seranthony Dominguez in the middle of the inning. A few more runs were scored and they were beaten to start the Phillies. In the afternoon, Sanchez played 4 IP, allowed 7 H, 7 ER, 3 walks and 3 strikeouts.
Ian Happ hit a second three-run home run in back-to-back innings to give the Cubs the lead for good. Happ, a potential trade target for the Phillies, had quite a performance in this game.
The Phillies were unable to score after Nick Castellanos’ solo home run in the fourth inning and lost the final against the Cubs 10-2.
Coming soon for the Phillies
Next up, the Phillies head to Atlanta to face their division rivals. The Braves are currently in second place in the NL East, 9 games behind the Phillies.
Even without Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider, the Braves have had a strong season. They enter the series with a record of 47-38 and could need a strong series to get back in the race.
In a worst-case scenario, if the Phillies were to be defeated by Atlanta, their lead in the division would drop to 6 games. This is thanks to the incredible first half of the season. If the Braves win two of three games, they could be just one game ahead of the Phillies.
If the Phillies win, their lead would increase to 12 games. If they simply win the series, they would increase their lead in the National League East to 10 games.
Photo credit: (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
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