Trea Turner went 3-for-5 with two homers and four RBIs to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 6-4 victory over the host Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night.
Garrett Stubbs had a two-run double and Bryson Stott had two hits and two runs as Philadelphia took the opener of the three-game set. The Phillies have won seven of their past 10 games and are a season-best 27 games above .500.
Philadelphia’s Michael Mercado (1-0) allowed one run and two hits in five innings in his first major league start and second appearance. He struck out four, walked two and retired the final seven batters he faced.
Seiya Suzuki smacked a three-run homer and Cody Bellinger had an RBI double for Chicago, which lost for the seventh time in nine games. Suzuki and Bellinger had two hits apiece and the rest of the Cubs combined for one.
After Mercado exited, Gregory Soto, Orion Kerkering and Yunior Marte each worked a perfect inning of relief to make it 16 straight retired Cubs.
Jose Ruiz started the ninth and allowed singles to Michael Busch and Bellinger before Suzuki slugged homered to left center, his 11th blast of the season.
Jeff Hoffman entered and struck out Ian Happ and Christopher Morel and retired Dansby Swanson on a liner to right to complete his seventh save.
Chicago’s Hayden Wesneski (2-5) served up both of Turner’s homers while giving up five runs and five hits over five innings. He struck out seven and walked three.
The Phillies pushed across two runs in the second as Nick Castellanos walked, Kody Clemens doubled and both scored on Stubbs’ one-out chopping double inside the third base line.
Turner increased the lead to 3-0 when he smacked the first pitch of the third inning 422 feet into the stands in left center.
The Cubs got on the board in the bottom of the frame when Bellinger stroked a two-out double to right center to score Nico Hoerner from first.
In the fifth, Stott led off the inning with a single before Turner walloped a fastball 439 feet, barely clearing the stands in left, to make it 5-1. It was Turner’s fifth homer of the season.
The Phillies added on in the seventh as Stott doubled to right with one out against Colten Brewer and Turner followed with an RBI single to right.
–Field Level Media
