Clutch pitching helps Phillies rebuff Cubs

[June 08, 2016]  PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia Phillies manager Pete Mackanin turned to his closer, Jeanmar Gomez, in the eighth inning of Tuesday night's game against the Chicago Cubs.

"He looked a little nervous today," Mackanin said. "I was nervous, too."

They had reason to be. The Cubs, trailing by two, had loaded the bases with nobody out against Gomez's predecessor, Hector Neris.

Gomez proceeded to work out of not only that jam but a two-on, two-out situation in the ninth as the Phillies hung on for a 3-2 victory.

Jerad Eickhoff pitched seven strong innings to snap a personal two-game losing streak and Ryan Howard homered for Philadelphia, which won for only the third time in 12 games.

Chicago, which lost for the second time in seven games, maintains the major leagues' best record (40-17).

"That was just a little loss for the Cubs, but it was a huge morale-booster for us," Mackanin said.

Eickhoff (3-8) allowed one run and two hits while striking out eight and walking two. He retired 10 straight hitters between the first and fourth -- six via strikeout.

"That's as good as he's been all year," Mackanin said.

Eickhoff's strong showing was due largely to his newfound confidence in his slider.

"I feel like I threw the most I've ever thrown in a game, because it was working," he said. "I just kind stayed with it. It got them off my curveball and fastball enough, and I was able to go with it, ahead or behind in the count."

With the Phillies leading 3-1, Neris replaced Eickhoff to start the eighth. The Cubs proceeded to load the bases with nobody out, on an error and singles by Addison Russell and pinch hitter Javier Baez.

That set the stage for Gomez.

"With bases loaded in that situation, I'm gambling," Mackanin said. "I'm taking my best shot with my best guy."

Gomez denied that he was as nervous as he might have seemed to his manager.

"I was just focused on doing my job and helping the team," he said. "You don't have to try to do too much. Just attack the hitter because you need an out quickly."

He yielded a sacrifice fly to Dexter Fowler, making it 3-2, but then saw Jason Heyward ground a ball to the right of Andres Blanco, who had just entered the game at second base on a double-switch.

Blanco fielded the ball on his knees and fed shortstop Freddy Galvis for the force at second. Galvis then fired to first to complete the inning-ending double play.

"That," Mackanin said, "was a special play."

The Cubs also put runners at the corners with two outs in the ninth, but Gomez retired David Ross on a grounder to end the game. It was Gomez's 19th save of the season, and the first multi-inning save of his career.

Chicago starter Kyle Hendricks (4-5) saw a personal two-game winning streak end, going five innings and allowing two runs and four hits. He struck out six and walked two.

With two outs in the first, Cubs left fielder Kris Bryant misjudged a fly ball by Galvis that fell for a double.

Phillies relief pitcher Jeanmar Gomez (46) reacts after getting the the final out during the ninth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies defeated the Cubs, 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

"The wind was kind of funky out there," Chicago manager Joe Maddon said. "It was not an easy play. I have no complaints."

Maikel Franco delivered the game's first run with a single to right field.

Howard made it 2-0 with one out in the fourth, ripping Hendricks' first pitch into the seats in right center field for his ninth home run of the season and the 366th of his career, tying Lance Berkman for 80th on the all-time list.

Howard, making his first start since May 31, also homered for the first time in 18 games. Howard, relegated to a reserve role of late while the club gets a look at rookie Tommy Joseph, last connected May 11 in Atlanta.

"I wasn't thinking about the week or the last 10 days," he said. "I was just thinking about that moment. I got a good pitch -- he hung me a breaking ball -- and I was able to hit it out."

Ben Zobrist walked to open the fifth, advanced to third on Tommy La Stella's hit-and-run single and scored on a double-play ball off the bat of Miguel Montero, cutting the gap to 2-1.

Maddon lifted Hendricks in favor of a pinch hitter the following inning, even though he only threw 81 pitches (55 strikes).

"We were just trying to get a point or two on the board," Maddon said. "That's why we did it."

Odubel Herrera's RBI single off reliever Clayton Richard in the seventh increased Philadelphia's lead to 3-1.

NOTES: Philadelphia SS Freddy Galvis (.235, six home runs, 22 RBIs) hit third in the order for the first time this season and went 1-for-4 with a run scored. "It's the best I could come up with," manager Pete Mackanin said. ... The Cubs placed OF Jorge Soler on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring and recalled OF Albert Almora from Triple-A Iowa. Almora, the sixth overall pick in 2012, was hitting .318 in the minor leagues, with three homers, 30 RBIs and 10 steals. He made his major league debut Tuesday, grounding out as a pinch hitter in the sixth. ... The Cubs have not made an error in seven straight games.

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