Ibanez’s Timely Hit Pushes Phils Past Cubs
Raul Ibanez singled home Chase Utley in the bottom of the eighth, and Jose Contreras battled out of a jam to record his second save as the Phillies defeated the Cubs, 5-4.
Propelled by an efficient start from Joe Blanton, the Phils jumped out to a 4-1 after six, behind homers from Utley and Jimmy Rollins. From there, however, things got shaky. Chicago responded with two runs in the top of the seventh, then tied the game in the eighth when Kosuke Fukudome led off the frame with a home run to right. It was only the second hit reliever Antonio Bastardo had allowed to a lefty hitter all season.
Danys Baez immediately relieved Bastardo and retired the side in order. It was Baez’s team-leading 19th appearance out of the ‘pen, and he would pick up the win for his efforts. Why? Because in the bottom of the eighth, Utley and Rollins walked to place runners on first and second with two out for Ibanez, who poked a single to right field that scored Utley, the game’s deciding run.
Contreras would make things interesting in the ninth before closing the door. After plunking Alfonso Soriano on the 11th pitch of his at-bat, Mike Fontenot singled to put Soriano at third with none out. From there, Contreras took over, striking out Starlin Castro and pinch-hitter Aramis Ramirez and inducing a weak, foul pop-out from Geovany Soto to end the game.
Their pair of two-game series complete, the Phillies now turn their attention to the Boston Red Sox, who come to town to kick off interleague play. John Lackey will oppose Cole Hamels in the opener.
Here’s a postgame video from Pat Gallen at Citizens Bank Park:
