Cubs 4,Phillies 3
CHICAGO -- Starlin Castro had two hits, including the go-ahead home run, as the Chicago Cubs defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 on Saturday.
Zach Miner opened the sixth for the Phillies, replacing starter Cliff Lee. Castro greeted Miner (0-1) rudely, sending the second pitch he saw deep into the center field bleachers to put the Cubs ahead 4-3
Castro added a double on the day, giving him his second consecutive two-hit game and four extra base hits in the first two games of the series.
Both starters failed to reach the sixth, as Lee had a rare off-day with his control. Lee entered the game second in the NL with 1.41 walks per nine innings and tied a season-high by issuing three against the Cubs. Lee tossed 113 pitches in his five innings while giving up three runs, two earned, on nine hits.
Cubs starter Chris Rusin didn't fare much better, going five innings while allowing three runs on four hits, while walking three and hitting two batters.
Despite the struggles with control from both pitchers, it was the numerous miscues on the defensive side of the ball that stood out early in the game.
Michael Young's fourth inning triple drove in Lee and put the Phillies on top 3-2. Initially it looked as though Lee would not be able to score on the play, but as Cole Gillespie went to field Young's liner, he slipped. The ball ricocheted off the wall and bounced past Gillespie back into right field, allowing Lee to score and Young to get all the way to third.
The Cubs would later tie it back up at three when Donnie Murphy scored on Gillespie's fifth inning sacrifice fly.
The sloppy play seemed to be a theme on the day, as a mistake-filled third inning allowed both teams to score unearned runs. With two down in the top half of the inning, Chase Utley rolled a grounder to third base and reached safely after Anthony Rizzo couldn't handle Murphy's throw. With Carlos Ruiz at bat, Rusin appeared to have Utley picked off first, but Rizzo's throw to second base sailed into left field. Utley came around to score when Ruiz lined a double into the left field corner, putting the Phillies up 2-1.
The Phillies handed the run right back to the Cubs in the bottom half of the inning when Murphy reached on a two-out error by Young. Junior Lake followed with a single and Murphy came around to score on Welington Castillo's single.
The Cubs bullpen combined to toss four shutout innings to seal the victory. Carlos Villanueva (3-8), who relieved Rusin to start the sixth, allowed one hit in an inning and a third to pick up the win. Kevin Gregg worked the ninth to pick up his 28th save in 33 opportunities.
NOTES: Phillies OF Domonic Brown will have an MRI on his right Achilles on Monday when the team returns to Philadelphia. Brown did not start the game, but struck out when he pinch-hit in the ninth ... 3B Cody Ashe was held out of the lineup for the third consecutive day. Ashe had missed the previous two games with a hamstring issue. ... Both OF Ryan Sweeney and 3B Luis Valbuena are expected to rejoin the Cubs on Sunday after making a rehab appearance with the Kane County Cougars on Saturday. Sweeney has been on the disabled list since fracturing a rib when crashing into the outfield wall in Seattle on June 29. Valbuena has been sidelined since August 3 with a right oblique strain. ... RHP Scott Baker will make a rehab start for the Cougars on Monday as he continues his comeback from Tommy John surgery.
