Chicago Cubs Complete Series Sweep and Season Sweep of Phillies
Mired in the cellar of the National League, the Chicago Cubs had no business handling the Philadelphia Phillies as well as they did. An offensive powerhouse that seemed destined for the postseason, the Cubs nearly ended those dreams, sweeping both series they played in 2022.
Off to an early lead in the first inning, Chicago got the scoring started with two first inning doubles and a single, but it could have been more. Up 1-0 following Patrick Wisdom's RBI hit, Phillies starter Ranger Suárez made a calm play at home on a swinging bunt for the second out.
Following that out at home, Franmil Reyes crushed a ball to right field which seemed sure to fall for a base hit, but right fielder Matt Vierling made a leaping grab to snare the liner and end the first inning threat.
The Cubs would have been well within their rights to feel gipped of another run, but the score remained 1-0 until the fifth, when the Phillies' karma caught up to them.
With two outs, Seiya Suzuki lined a ball to the warning track in center field. It looked catchable for Brandon Marsh, but he watched it land about a foot to his left and Suzuki cruised into third for a triple.
Happ brought the runner home minutes later with a single for a 2-0 lead and finally the Cubs had some insurance, but it wasn't needed in the sixth or the seventh despite the Phillies putting two runners on base in both innings.
Yet, Chicago threatened even more fiercely than the Phillies has in the seventh. With a trio of walks from former-Cub David Robertson, they loaded the bases with two out before Nico Hoerner grounded out to end the inning.
It seemed runners left in scoring position was the name of the game for both teams as the Cubs once again put two men on in the eighth before Contreras struck out to end the inning.
Coming back out for the ninth to silence the Phillies was Keegan Thomson, who had done everything he could the past two innings to keep things scoreless. But it was the play of Happ in left field to start the frame which was most notable.
Marsh had skied a ball down the left field line. Shaded into left-center, Happ had a long run to made the catch, and he did, sliding at the last second to avoid hard contact with the brick wall.
Besides a weakly hit infield single from Nick Castellanos, the Phillies hitters went down quietly as the Cubs put the finishing touches on their first and only series sweep of the season.
Friday they will face the Cincinnati Reds at at 1:20 p.m. CDT with Adrian Sampson on the mound opposed by Graham Ashcroft.
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