CHICAGO — Ian Happ had two doubles and an RBI, Seiya Suzuki also doubled twice and the Chicago Cubs blanked the slumping Philadelphia Phillies 4-0 on Friday.
Jon Berti added two hits and drove in a run as NL Central-leading Chicago won its third straight and for the fifth time in six games. Nico Hoerner and Pete Crow-Armstrong had RBIs in a game that started 2 hours10 minutes late because of rain.
J.T. Realmuto had two of the Phillies’ five hits has they dropped their fifth straight on a cold, windy afternoon at Wrigley Field.
Colin Rea (1-0) limited Philadelphia to three hits over five scoreless innings for the win. Rae struck out seven while walking two in his longest outing this season.
Four Chicago relievers — Caleb Thielbar, Brad Keller, Drew Pomeranz and Daniel Palencia — allowed two hits over four innings. Palencia pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.
Phillies starter Taijuan Walker (1-2) lasted just three innings, yielding two runs on six hits. He threw 86 pitches.
Berti’s double to the left-center wall in the second drove in Crow-Armstrong for a 1-0 Chicago lead. Hoerner’s RBI single in the third upped it to 2-0.
Happ’s second double of the game increased the Cubs’ lead to 3-0 in the fourth. Crow-Armstrong’s bunt scored Dansby Swanson from third in the seventh.
Key moment
The Cubs led 3-0 when Keller entered to start the seventh. Realmuto topped an infield single, then Alec Bohm walked, but Keller struck out pinch-hitter Cal Stevenson and got Bryson Stott to pop out. Swanson, a two-time Gold Glove shortstop, snared Trea Turner’s grounder up the middle and forced Bohm at second.
Key stat
Happ has 16 hits in 40 at bats (.400) over his last nine games.
Up next
Phillies LHP Jesus Luzardo (2-0, 2.08 ERA) faces Cubs RHP Ben Brown (2-1, 4.57) on Saturday.
