Phillies 6, Cubs 5
Michael Young singled home the decisive run in the ninth inning to cap a four-hit outing as visiting Philadelphia rallied from a five-run deficit to win in interim manager Ryne Sandberg’s return to Chicago.
Young’s two-out bloop single to right off Kevin Gregg (2-4) scored Roger Bernadina from second to give the Phillies a dramatic win in a contest that began with Sandberg – a former Cubs star – being warmly greeted by the Wrigley Field fans. B.J. Rosenberg (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth and Jonathan Papelbon worked a perfect ninth for his 23rd save in 29 opportunities.
Chicago built a 5-0 lead with the first two runs coming on Anthony Rizzo’s first-inning homer and Nate Schierholtz’s leadoff blast in the fourth. Starlin Castro added a two-run double later in the fourth and Brian Bogusevic delivered a run-scoring single in the fifth.
Philadelphia responded with a four-run sixth inning on Young’s RBI single, Chase Utley’s two-run triple and an infield out by Domonic Brown. The Phillies tied the contest on Kevin Frandsen’s seventh-inning homer and the game remained tied in the bottom of the inning when John Mayberry Jr. threw out Dioner Navarro at home after fielding Darnell McDonald’s pinch-hit single.
Phillies starter Roy Halladay allowed five runs and seven hits in five innings in his second outing since a three-month stint on the disabled list. Chicago’s Jeff Samardzija gave up five runs and eight hits in 6 2/3 frames.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Sandberg spent 15 of his 16 major-league seasons playing for the Cubs in a Hall of Fame career and was twice passed over for Chicago managerial openings in recent years. … Halladay grounded out in his first at-bat to end a stretch of 13 consecutive strikeouts, a major-league mark he shares with Dean Chance (1968). … Phillies 3B Cody Asche (hamstring) was held out of the lineup and Brown (Achilles’ tendon soreness) departed in the sixth.