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Throwing error allows Cubs to edge Phillies

Apr 14, 2008 - 12:13 AM By Vince DiGregorio PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- The Philadelphia Phillies were missing their two fastest players, but the Chicago Cubs ran out of players and still managed to pull out a win.

Chase Utley's errant relay throw on pinch hitter Carlos Zambrano's potential double play grounder scored the go-ahead run in the 10th inning as Chicago outlasted Philadelphia, 6-5, to avoid a three-game sweep Sunday.

The win wrapped up a 4-2 road trip for the Cubs.

"These guys battled," Chicago manager Lou Piniella said. "(We) go home 4-2. Good road trip. Three extra-inning ballgames, but we'll take them."

Kerry Wood (1-0) tossed two scoreless innings to pick up the win. Bob Howry pitched a scoreless 10th to earn his first save.

Ronny Cedeno began the 10th by working a walk from Rudy Seanez (0-1) and took second on Ryan Theriot's sacrifice. After rookie Geovany Soto walked, Zambrano was called on to pinch hit for Wood as Chicago used up all of its bench players.

"Every guy was a part of this win today," Chicago second baseman Mark DeRosa said.

Zambrano hit what looked like an inning-ending double play to shortstop Eric Bruntlett, but Utley's relay sailed wide of Ryan Howard at first base, allowing Cedeno to score the go-ahead run.

"It was a bad throw," Utley said. "I threw it down in the dirt. It was a clean toss (from Bruntlett). It was a terrible throw on my part."

"The throw took a bounce," Howard said. "I tried to scoop it up and it hit off the tip of my glove."

Philadelphia has now committed 15 errors in 13 games, with Utley having four of them to lead the team.

"I guess you can say it's a funk," Utley said. "You have your offensive slumps, your pitching slumps and your defensive slumps. Right now, we're not catching the ball and throwing the ball that well."

Utley almost atoned for his miscue in the bottom of the frame when he doubled to deep right field with two outs. However, after Howard was walked intentionally, Howry got So Taguchi on a grounder to second that ended the game.

Philadelphia was playing without shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who is day-to-day with a sprained ankle. The Phillies were also without the services of center fielder Shane Victorino, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list after Saturday's game with a right calf strain.

Bruntlett filled in for Rollins at shortstop, while Jayson Werth played center in place of Victorino. Each player hit a solo home run in the game.

Chicago was leading 4-2 in the sixth inning, when Philadelphia rallied for three runs off reliever Michael Wuertz to go up, 5-4. Bruntlett homered during the rally, but the Cubs tied it, 5-5, in the eighth on a pinch RBI single by Soto.

Philadelphia had a chance to win the contest in the bottom of the ninth, but Derrek Lee made a great grab on a sharp grounder by Carlos Ruiz with two on to force extra innings.

"What a great play (by Lee) in the bottom half of the ninth inning," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "The ball that Ruiz hit, he smoked it. Derrek can play first base."

The Phillies loaded the bases in each of the first two innings, but were only able to score one run on a sacrifice fly by Pat Burrell in the opening frame.

The Cubs capitalized in the third by scoring three runs, highlighted by a two-run double by Lee that gave Chicago a 3-1 lead.

Werth brought Philadelphia within 3-2 when he led off the fifth with his first home run of the season. However, DeRosa got that run back when he led off the sixth with a homer down the left field line that appeared to hook foul.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel was ejected by third base umpire Adrian Johnson for arguing the call.

"(Johnson) said the ball was inside the pole," Manuel said. "I thought it was foul."

Chicago starting pitcher Jason Marquis went six innings and allowed two runs on four hits, but walked five batters. His counterpart, 45-year-old Jamie Moyer, lasted five-plus frames and gave up four runs on nine hits.