Halladay pays for plunking Byrd in 11-6 loss

[July 19, 2010]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Roy Halladay hit Marlon Byrd twice and gave up two-run homers to Geovany Soto and Alfonso Soriano after each errant throw, sending the Chicago Cubs to an 11-6 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday night.

Byrd became the first Cubs player in 105 years to be hit by a pitch 16 times in a season and Chicago took advantage of a rare wild night for Halladay, winning three of four in its first series since the All-Star break.

Halladay had tossed 18 consecutive scoreless innings before Chicago's four-run second, which began with All-Star Byrd getting nailed. Soto hit a two-run homer with one out and the Cubs added two more.

A similar scenario played out in the sixth, only this time it was Soriano hitting a drive to left after Byrd got hit in the back by a breaking ball. Soriano's 17th homer made it 6-2.

Gorzelanny (5-5) allowed three runs, two earned, and five hits in 6 2-3 innings. The left-hander walked five and struck out five while improving to 3-0 with a 3.06 ERA in his last three starts.

Gorzelanny got a nice ovation when he was replaced by Andrew Cashner after Ryan Howard's sacrifice fly got the Phillies within three. Jayson Werth walked but Cashner got Ben Francisco to ground out with runners on first and third to end the inning.

Tyler Colvin and Starlin Castro each had three singles for the Cubs, who rebounded from Saturday's tough 4-1 loss.

Howard, pinch hitter Greg Dobbs and Francisco homered for the Phillies. Placido Polanco had two hits.

Halladay (10-8) allowed six runs, five earned, and seven hits in six innings. He had pitched nine innings in each of his previous two starts.

The All-Star right-hander did not walk a batter but hurt himself each time he plunked Byrd, who also was hit two times on Thursday.

Soto pumped his right fist as his 11th homer cleared the wall in right in the second -- a sharp contrast from Saturday, when he couldn't hang onto Colvin's throw from left and allowed Brian Schneider to score the tying run in a four-run ninth.

The Cubs added to their lead, getting two-out singles from Gorzelanny, Colvin and Castro to drive in another run. Colvin then scored on catcher Carlos Ruiz's throwing error attempting to stop Castro from stealing second, making it 4-0.

NOTES: Dobbs' solo drive off Cashner in the eighth was his seventh career pinch-hit homer. ... Carlos Zambrano could rejoin the Cubs by the end of the month after undergoing anger management counseling following his dugout confrontation with Derrek Lee. Manager Lou Piniella says the right-hander likely will throw a simulated game on Monday at the team's training complex in Mesa, Ariz., and pitch for Triple-A Iowa later this week. Piniella says Zambrano could rejoin the Cubs during their six-game road trip that starts July 26.

[Associated Press; By ANDREW SELIGMAN]

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