Final Score: Cubs 6, Phillies 2 (10 innings)
An ugly inning doomed the Phillies for a second-consecutive game. The unraveling happened a little bit later this time around.
Five runs scored in a top of the 10th inning that featured bloops, missed calls and some ugly defense from a Phillies club that has not gotten off to its best start in the second half.
With the infield in, Frank Schwindel hit a one-hopper straight to Alec Bohm. A high throw led a run to score as the speedy Nico Hoerner swiped third and hustled home to give his team the lead.
Three batters later and with another run in on a bloop single to right, Bohm couldn’t get in front of a sharp grounder to his glove side and two more runs scored for the Cubbies.
And while Bohm has been relatively steady at third since his early-season struggles, he is prone to having a bad game (or a bad inning) that sinks his club.
“I think he’s over all that. I really do,” Rob Thomson said when asked if he needs to say anything to Bohm after a rough performance. “I think he’s a confident defender now and everybody makes mistakes once in a while, but I think he’s confident. He works at it. He’s really played well lately.”
Then again, the Phillies probably should have done more on offense against the Chicago pitching staff. Marcus Stroman, Steven Brault, Michael Givens and former Phillie David Robertson held Philadelphia to just one run through the first nine innings. The offense managed to go just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
The Phillies will look to avoid the sweep in the series finale on Sunday at noon. Bailey Falter will be recalled and start for the Phillies. Drew Smyly, another former Phillie, will get the ball for Chicago.
Looking lost
The Phillies are confident that Nick Castellanos will eventually break out of his nearly three-month long slump. The team is still penciling him in the No. 3 spot. He hit a couple balls hard, but the Phillies right fielder went 0-for-4 and came up short in a key eighth inning at-bat.
With a 1-0 count against Givens, Castellanos thought he was hit-by-a-pitch. It was an outcome the Phillies would have easily taken with Darick Hall on deck and Castellanos struggling. After review, the original call of no hit-by-pitch stood and Givens would come back down 2-0 to strike out Castellanos on a 95 mph fastball on the inside corner.
Thomson said after the game that the team will discuss tinkering with the lineup ahead of Sunday’s series finale. Could it mean Castellanos moves down in the order? It’s certainly possible.
After the game, things got heated between Castellanos and a reporter when the Phillies right fielder was asked if he heard the boos from the Philadelphia crowd after his at-bat in the eighth inning.
Zack Wheeler rebounds
Wheeler’s last start of the first half did not go as planned. He gave up six earned runs over 4 2/3 innings in a clunker against the Blue Jays in Toronto.
The Phillies opted to give him an extra day after the break to make sure he can get a workout in the first day back. Who knows if that had anything to do with his performance, but he did throw seven innings for the fifth time this season. Only two batters reached base safely against Wheeler following a second-inning solo home run against Hoerner.
After a deflating 15-2 loss on Friday, the Phillies needed Wheeler to give them another solid outing. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to propel the Phillies to victory.
Shibe Vintage Sports Notes
- Per the Phillies, Darick Hall leads all MLB rookies in extra-base hits since his debut on June 30.
- Connor Brogdon has stranded 11 of 12 inherited runners over his last 17 appearances.
- Stroman has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 10 of his 11 career starts against the Phillies.
Ticket IQ Next Game
- Sunday, July 24 vs. Chicago Cubs at Citizens Bank Park
- 12:05 p.m. ET
- Streaming: Peacock
- Radio: Sportsradio 94 WIP
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