J.T. Realmuto dribbled a single toward third base, and Alec Bohm walked to begin the top of the seventh for the Phillies. With 9-1-2 now due up in the batting order, it was a prime chance, down 3-0, for them to get back into the game. But Realmuto and Bohm were stranded, and the Phillies went on to drop their series opener to the Cubs in Chicago, 4-0.
With Realmuto on second and Bohm on first, Cal Stevenson pinch-hit for Johan Rojas. Stevenson struck out swinging on three pitches. Bryson Stott followed Stevenson, popping out to Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson.
Trea Turner was now up. He hit a ball hard up the middle, but Swanson, moving to his left, gloved it and got a throw off to second base before stumbling onto the outfield grass for a force out. The inning was over.
Turner’s groundout moved the Phillies to 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. They finished the day with no hits in seven at-bats in such situations. They stranded 10 baserunners.
The Cubs weren’t much better with runners in scoring position, finishing 4-for-22 in those spots. But they came through a few times, and it was all they needed.
Jon Berti doubled off Taijuan Walker in the bottom of the second, plating Pete Crow-Armstrong from second base. An inning later, Nico Hoerner singled up the middle past a diving Turner, driving in Michael Busch from second.
Those were the only two runs Walker allowed. But he lasted only three innings, laboring through. Walker tossed 86 pitches, including 37 in the first.
The Cubs’ lead moved to 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth on an Ian Happ double down the left-field line. Berti scored from first on the play. Chicago scored again in the seventh.
Friday was the third time the Phillies have been shut out this year. They’ve now lost five straight games and are 13-13 on the season.
[ajax_load_more]