Final
Lilly helps Cubs avoid sweep against Phillies
May 13, 2007 - 10:46 PM PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Ted Lilly cooled down the hot bats of the Philadelphia Phillies.Lilly worked eight outstanding innings and Matt Murton had three hits as the Chicago Cubs avoided a three-game sweep at the hands of the Phillies with a 4-1 victory on Sunday.
In hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park, the Cubs allowed 18 runs in the first two games of the series.
However, Lilly (3-2) was unfazed by the ballpark as he gave up just an earned run and three hits with one walk and six strikeouts. The veteran lefthander walked one and struck out six before departing after throwing 108 pitches.
"There are a lot of tough outs to get," Lilly said. "They were without (Ryan Howard), but it's still a pretty good lineup. You really can't take any guys lightly."
It marked the fifth time in eight starts this season that Lilly, who signed a four-year, $40 million contract as a free agent, lasted at least seven innings.
"This game all evolves around starting pitching," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "If your starting pitching pitches well, it gives you a chance and you go from there. Today, this guy gave us eight excellent innings of baseball and got himself a win."
Ryan Dempster worked around a two-out single in the ninth for his eighth save in nine chances. The game ended when Chase Utley was thrown out at second by left fielder Alfonso Soriano trying to stretch a single into a double.
The Phillies also received a strong outing from Jon Lieber (1-2), who surrendered two runs - one earned - and nine hits in a season-high eight innings. The veteran righthander walked one and struck out five.
"Jon Lieber pitched a good game, but Lilly had a hell of a game," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said.
After working out of trouble in the third inning, Lieber was unable to do so again in the fourth.
Daryle Ward led off with a double and Aramis Ramirez reached on an error by third baseman Abraham Nunez, sending Ward to third. Ward was in the game in place of regular first baseman Derrek
Lee, who left the game in the second inning with neck spasms. Lee had grounded into a double play in the first and was laboring while running.
"(Lee) is a trooper . He loves to play, but he looked like he had a couple of beers running to first," Piniella said. "You love a guy for that, but Ward came in and stroked a double to left field and ignited our first scoring opportunities."
Murton, who had three hits in the first two games of the series, delivered an RBI single to get the Cubs on the board. Two outs later, Cesar Izturis stroked a run-scoring base hit to make it 2-0.
"I'm starting to feel a little bit more comfortable in the box," Murton said. "I didn't particularly hit the ball great today, but I did a good job of battling in at-bats, giving myself a chance.
"In that particular at-bat, we had runners on first and second. I had a base hit over the shortstop's head and got our first run and kind of got started that way."
Izturis had three hits for the second straight day.
Lilly was in complete control on the mound, not allowing his first hit until Nunez singled with two out in the fifth on a play where second baseman Ryan Theriot slipped.
Lilly recovered from his first hit by retiring his next seven batters before Wes Helms and Nunez singled to open the bottom of the eighth.
"I don't know if it was my best stuff, but I threw the ball pretty well," Lilly said. "We made all the plays. Guys played great behind me."
Carlos Ruiz lined to Ramirez at third base for the first out. But trying to double off pinch runner Michael Bourn at first, Ramirez made an errant throw to allow Helms to score and Bourn to reach second.
Lilly was able to preserve the 2-1 lead by retiring Shane Victorino on a fly ball to center field before getting Jimmy Rollins to line out to left field to end the inning.
"Lilly has been very consistent," Piniella said. "That's what you look for. Today, he had exceptional stuff."
Rollins, who has been the Phillies' best offensive player this season, went 0-for-12 in the series.
With Lieber out of the game, the Cubs were able to add a pair of insurance runs against the beleaguered Phillies' bullpen in the ninth.
"Adding those two runs there in the eighth inning were big," Piniella said. "That's something that's been lacking here from our baseball team here early in the season. T he tack-on runs give your closer a little breathing room."
Mark DeRosa drew a bases-loaded walk against Fabio Castro and Ramirez bounced into a forceout to plate another run.
Soriano went 0-for-4, ending his 20-game hitting streak.
- NL
FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
CHICAGO CUBS 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 4 11 1
PHILADELPHIA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 4 2 (FINAL)
BATTERIES: CHN - TED LILLY, RYAN DEMPSTER (9TH) AND MICHAEL BARRETT
PHI - JON LIEBER, ANTONIO ALFONSECA (9TH), FABIO CASTRO
(9TH), CLAY CONDREY (9TH) AND CARLOS RUIZ
HOME RU
May 13 4:03 PM - NL
AT PHILADELPHIA - SCORING UPDATE
FIELDER'S CHOICE BY ARAMIS RAMIREZ SCORED ANGEL PAGAN.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, A RAMIREZ ON FIRST, R THERIOT ON THIRD, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CHICAGO CUBS 4
PHILADELPHIA 1 TOP, 9TH
DUE UP FOR CHICAGO CUBS: M MURTON (.306, 3-FOR-4, RBI)
Cubs vs. PhilliesMay 13 3:56 PM - NL
AT PHILADELPHIA - SCORING UPDATE
BASES LOADED WALK TO MARK DEROSA SCORED CESAR IZTURIS.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, M DEROSA ON FIRST, R THERIOT ON SECOND, A
PAGAN ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CHICAGO CUBS 3
PHILADELPHIA 1 TOP, 9TH
DUE UP FOR CHICAGO CUBS: A RAMIREZ (.266, 0-FOR-4)
Cubs vs. PhilliesMay 13 3:50 PM - NL
AT PHILADELPHIA - SCORING UPDATE
ERROR BY ARAMIS RAMIREZ ALLOWED MICHAEL BOURN TO SCORE.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, A NUNEZ ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CHICAGO CUBS 2
PHILADELPHIA 1 BOTTOM, 8TH
DUE UP FOR PHILADELPHIA: J LIEBER (.091, 0-FOR-2)
Cubs vs. PhilliesMay 13 3:32 PM - NL
AT PHILADELPHIA - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY CESAR IZTURIS SCORED ARAMIS RAMIREZ.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, C IZTURIS ON FIRST, M MURTON ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CHICAGO CUBS 2
PHILADELPHIA 0 TOP, 4TH
DUE UP FOR CHICAGO CUBS: T LILLY (.125, 0-FOR-0, SAC)
Cubs vs. PhilliesMay 13 2:27 PM - NL
AT PHILADELPHIA - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY MATT MURTON SCORED DARYLE WARD.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, M MURTON ON FIRST, A RAMIREZ ON SECOND, 0 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CHICAGO CUBS 1
PHILADELPHIA 0 TOP, 4TH
DUE UP FOR CHICAGO CUBS: J JONES (.263, 0-FOR-1)
Cubs vs. PhilliesMay 13 2:22 PM
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