Utley, Lee Lead Phillies To 7-1 Win Over Cubs
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Chase Utley homered and drove in four runs to back Cliff Lee's eight strong innings and lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 7-1 win over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.
Lee (6-5) passed teammate Roy Halladay for the league lead in strikeouts, recording seven to up his season total to 107. He allowed four hits and one run while walking two.
Utley gave Philadelphia the early lead with a two-run double in the first and provided some insurance with a two-run homer in the eighth. Shane Victorino had three hits, scored three runs and drove in one for Philadelphia, which has won three of four.
Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez also had RBIs for Philadelphia.
Darwin Barney had two hits for the Cubs, who have dropped 10 of 12. Lee improved to 4-0 in five career starts against the Cubs. The left-hander has worked at least seven innings in nine of his 14 starts this season. It was the fourth time he has gone at least eight innings, including one complete game.
Cubs right-hander Matt Garza (2-6) was making his second career start at Citizens Bank Park after pitching Game 3 of the 2008 World Series for the Rays against Philadelphia. He got a no-decision in the 5-4 Phillies win, giving up six hits, including three homers, in six innings.
The right-hander was making his second start after returning Monday from a right elbow contusion that sidelined him May 18. He pitched well Saturday, allowing two runs - one earned - on five hits while striking out four and walking three, one intentional.
Jimmy Rollins led off the first with a liner to second that was dropped by Cubs second baseman Barney for an error. After an infield single by Victorino, Utley hit his two-run double to left.
The Cubs got a run back in the third, on Lou Montanez's two-out RBI single to right that scored Starlin Castro.
The Phillies loaded the bases in the sixth with one out on just one hit, but Garza struck out Lee on three pitches and got Rollins to ground out to second to escape the jam.
But Philadelphia got a pair of runs in the seventh to take a 4-1 lead. Howard singled home Victorino, who had doubled, off Cubs reliever Sean Marshall to make it 3-1. The run snapped a 14 1-3 scoreless streak by Chicago relievers, while Victorino's leadoff double was just the fourth extra-base hit Marshall had allowed against 108 batters.
Howard, who had been 2 for 20 entering his at-bat, then scored on Ibanez's two-out double to left that just eluded diving left fielder Blake DeWitt. Since snapping an 0-for-35 skid on May 3, Ibanez is batting .317 (44 for 139).
The Phillies tacked on three runs in the eighth, both with two outs, on Victorino's single to center and Utley's homer to right. All of the runs were off righty Casey Coleman, who was recalled from Triple-A Iowa prior to the game. To make room for Coleman, the Cubs designated outfielder Brad Snyder for assignment.
Barney snapped an 0-for-14 skid with a third-inning single.
Notes: Philadelphia improved 5-0 at home on Saturdays, 8-2 overall. The game started 32 minutes late due to a rain delay, which sent Phillies fielders scampering back to the dugout after they were positioned to start. The Phillies recorded their 158th straight sellout with a crowd of 45,738.
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