Phils lament missed chances, miscues vs. Cubs
CHICAGO -- Considering all of the opportunities the Phillies had already missed, the fact that Freddy Galvis couldn't capitalize on the chance to give his team yet another chance in extra innings Thursday afternoon perhaps proved to be a fitting ending.
With the game tied and already more than four hours long, Galvis found himself in the middle of what had the possibility of being an inning-ending double play. But when his throw sailed wide of first baseman Brock Stassi, the error -- Galvis' second of the day -- allowed the Cubs to walk off with a 5-4 victory over the Phillies in 13 innings at Wrigley Field.
The loss -- the Phillies' third straight and sixth in their last seven games -- had been ripe with scoring chances. But all of them, including a pair of chances with the bases loaded -- in the seventh inning and again in the 11th -- came up empty as the Phillies finished their seven-game road trip 1-6 after winning six straight games.
"We knew what we were up against on this road trip -- the Dodgers and the Cubs, both formidable teams," manager Pete Mackanin said. "We beat the Cubs pretty handily the first night, [and] had chances all three games to win the rest. We played them well, we just fell short."
Thursday's setback, which came despite the Phillies collecting 15 hits, may have been the most frustrating.
After reliever Joaquin Benoit allowed a game-tying solo home run to Miguel Montero in the eighth inning, the Phillies appeared to be on the brink of taking the lead in the 11th. The Phillies loaded the bases with one out when Aaron Altherr walked and then took third when Odubel Herrera reached on a throwing error by Cubs shortstop Addison Russell. After Maikel Franco was intentionally walked, the Phillies finally appeared poised to regain the lead.
But Cubs reliever Mike Montgomery struck out Michael Saunders before pinch-hitter Andres Blanco popped out to end the inning.
Two innings later, Galvis' throwing error finally sealed the Phillies' fate.
"It's really frustrating," Galvis said. "Today, I made two mistakes and we lost the game. Of course, I'm going I'm going to feel bad. I want to win every single game."
A combination of things, Mackanin said, led to his team's latest loss, in which the Phillies left 14 runners left on base.
Benoit surrendered the game-tying homer in the eighth after starter Zach Eflin allowed three runs and scattered nine hits over seven innings. Mackanin, already working with a short-handed bullpen, said that Pat Neshek couldn't get loose after throwing 29 pitches in Wednesday night's loss to the Cubs.
But Jeanmar Gomez and Joely Rodriguez held off the Cubs until the 13th, when the Cubs finally managed to break through.
"[It was a] little good, little bad [and a] little bad luck," said Mackanin, who believes his bullpen is better than it has shown of late. "We just couldn't capitalize."
Galvis, who also spiked a throw into the mound on Thursday night while trying to throw out Willson Contreras at the plate, said that despite the loss, the Phillies will find a way to solider on.
"We have what -- how many more games?," Galvis said. "A hundred some? We just have to keep playing baseball, that's it."