Chicago, IL (Sports Network) – Ross Gload scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in a wild four-run, two-out rally in the ninth inning that carried the Phillies to a 4-1 comeback win over Chicago in third meeting of a four-game set.
Placido Polanco singled home the tying run and Jayson Werth walked with the bases loaded to force in an insurance marker and spell the end of the day for Chicago reliever Carlos Marmol (2-2), who suffered the loss after giving up all four runs on one hit and a season-high five walks while recording just two outs for the Cubs, who have dropped four out of seven.
Chad Durbin (1-1) worked a scoreless eighth inning to grab the win after Cole Hamels yielded a single run on eight hits over seven frames. He walked two and struck out six for the Phils, who stopped a two-game slide and won for the fifth time in seven tries. Brad Lidge threw a shutout ninth inning to preserve the win and earn his seventh save of the season.
Marmol entered in the ninth to protect a 1-0 lead and issued back-to-back one- out walks to pinch-hitters Brian Schneider and Gload before Shane Victorino struck out. Polanco then singled to left field in front of Tyler Colvin, whose one-hop throw to the plate was in time to cut down Schneider but was mishandled by catcher Geovany Soto to allow the tying run to score.
“I got the ball in plenty of time,” Soto said about the play at the plate. “He made a perfect throw to me, plain and simple, I just missed it. I rushed to grab the ball and get a tag and took my eyes off the ball.”
Gload had advanced to third on the play and scored the decisive run when Marmol uncorked a wild pitch with Jimmy Rollins at the plate. The Phillies subsequently loaded the bases for Werth, who worked the count full before drawing a free pass to push Polanco across the plate and chase Marmol from the hill.
James Russell took over and faced Raul Ibanez, who legged out an infield hit to first base after the rookie left-hander was late to cover from the mound. That allowed Rollins to score to make it 4-1 and brought on Andrew Cashner.
Pinch-hitter Cody Ransom smashed a ground ball back through the middle that was gloved by the diving shortstop Starlin Castro, who got the force out at second base to finally end the inning.
“It’s tremendous,” said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel referring to the importance of the victory. “We gotta win some games. Every game we win from here on out is huge. We’re chasing two teams and we need to put together some wins if we’re going to stay in this thing.”
The Cubs had broken up a scoreless duel in the seventh when Castro led off with a double, moved to third on a ground out and scored on a suicide squeeze bunt by Ryan Theriot, who legged it out for an infield hit.
The Phillies put runners at second and third and two out in the fourth before Carlos Ruiz flied out to end the frame. The Cubs had runners at the corners with two outs in the bottom of the inning but Castro bounced into a force out at second base to end the inning.
A two-out double by Werth and walks to Ibanez and Ruiz loaded the bases for the visitors in the sixth before Wilson Valdez grounded out. Chicago put runners at first and second with one out in the home half before Alfonso Soriano flied out and Soto was called out on strikes.
Cubs starter Randy Wells worked around seven hits and a pair of walks, while fanning five, to spin seven scoreless frames.
Marmol became the first Cubs pitcher to walk at least five hitters in a relief outing since Johnny Vander Meer walked five of the ten batters he faced in one complete frame on July 27, 1950 against Philadelphia and the first to do so in less than a full inning since June 11, 1920 when Speed Martin issued a free pass to five of the seven hitters he faced and was knocked in the first inning after recording two outs. The Phillies won for just a third time in 40 games when trailing after eight innings…Philadelphia is 37-9 when scoring four runs or more…The Cubs have scored three runs or fewer in 16 of their last 25 games, including one run or less in nine of them…Chicago was thwarted in a bid to win three straight home games for the first time since May 16-25. Philadelphia stranded 12 baserunners, while the Cubs were 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left nine men aboard.