Phillies 9, Cubs 8
PHILADELPHIA -- Chase Utley went 3-for-4, drove in two runs and scored twice Tuesday night as the Philadelphia Phillies built a four-run lead, then hung on to beat the Chicago Cubs 9-8 and snap a five-game losing streak.
Embattled closer Jonathan Papelbon, who entered the game with a 9-5 lead, allowed three runs in the ninth, on Nate Schierholtz's two-run single and a dropped fly ball by left fielder Domonic Brown. With runners at the corners and two outs, Papelbon retired pinch hitter Thomas Neal on a fly to Brown to end the game.
Darin Ruf and Carlos Ruiz homered for the Phillies, who won for just the second time in 15 games.
Ruf and Brown, activated earlier in the day from the disabled list, had two RBIs apiece for Philadelphia.
Donnie Murphy and Anthony Rizzo homered for the Cubs, who have dropped five straight and eight of nine.
Kyle Kendrick (10-8) allowed four runs in the second and another in the third but then settled down, retiring 10 of the last 11 hitters he faced to end a two-game losing streak. Four of the five runs he surrendered were earned. He gave up six hits, struck out four and didn't issue a walk.
Jake Diekman and Justin De Fratus combined for two scoreless innings of relief.
Papelbon then allowed a single to Logan Watkins and a double to David DeJesus, the first two hitters he faced in the ninth. He struck out the next two hitters, but Schierholtz, who went 3-for-5, singled through the middle to score both runners.
Brown then muffed Starlin Castro's fly ball, and Schierholtz came around to score, making it 9-8. After a wild pitch and a walk put runners at first and third, Papelbon retired Neal.
Edwin Jackson (7-12) took the loss, surrendering seven runs and 10 hits over five innings. He fanned two and walked two.
Utley drove in a first-inning run for the Phillies with a single, but Murphy hit a three-run homer in a four-run second.
Kendrick's RBI single in the bottom of the second cut the Philadelphia deficit to 4-2, but Rizzo blasted a solo homer in the third.
The Phillies then scored twice in their half of the third on Brown's groundout and Ruf's double to make it 5-4.
Utley tripled in a run in the fifth and then scored on Brown's bouncer to put the Phils in front. Ruf followed with a homer, making it 7-5.
NOTES: Ruf extended to 33 his streak of games in which he has reached safely via hit, walk or hit by pitch. It is the longest active streak in the majors and the longest by a Phillie since Utley also reached in 33 straight spanning the 2008 and '09 seasons. The club record is 56 by Mike Schmidt. ... Earlier in the day, the Phillies recalled LHP Cesar Jimenez from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to fill the roster spot vacated when LHP Antonio Bastardo was suspended 50 games for violating baseball's drug policy. ... The Phillies also activated Brown, who had been out since July 23 with concussion-like symptoms, and designated OF/1B Laynce Nix for assignment.
