Realmuto Helps Phillies Edge Cubs in Arrieta’s Return to Wrigley

By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor

Pitching at Wrigley Field for the first time since the 2017 NLCS, as the Philadelphia Phillies (28-19) began their seven-game road trip, RHP Jake Arrieta shined in his club's 5-4 four-game series opener victory over the Chicago Cubs (27-18). Standing out the most, however, was catcher J.T. Realmuto — his tag at the plate on a Bryce Harper outfield assist, followed by the catcher's clutch, game-tying RBI single in the third and go-ahead home run in extras, largely helped the Phillies to their fourth straight victory Monday evening at the historic Wrigley Field.

The win was the Phillies' first when trailing after eight innings; the club had lost 44 straight games when trailing after eight innings prior to the contest, which also put them a season-high nine games over .500.

Arrieta, taking on his former team for the first time, received a standing ovation from Cubs fans during his first plate appearance in the third; Darvish stepped off the mound while Arrieta tipped his helmet in appreciation to the crowd.

The game remained 1-0 in favor of the Cubs — thanks to Anthony Rizzo's RBI single in the third — until the top of the sixth. Leading up to the frame, however, Harper recorded an outfield assist with the bases loaded, helped by Realmuto, by throwing out Rizzo at home.

The Phillies responded to Harper's run-saving play with a three-run outburst the next half-inning; with Jean Segura on second after a stolen base, and Harper on first after his walk, Realmuto delivered just the Phillies' third hit of the game with a RBI single to center, tying the game 1-1. A batter later, Cesar Hernandez — who had the club's only two other hits at that point — tripled home Harper and Segura to put the Phillies on top, 3-1.

Arrieta tossed a 1-2-3 sixth to close out his quality start — six innings, eight runs, one earned run, two walks, four strikeouts, 99 pitches and 62 strikes. The right-hander tossed first-pitch strikes to 13 of his 27 batters faced, and induced nine ground balls and four fly balls.

The Cubs answered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the eighth opposite RHP Seranthony Dominguez. With two runners in scoring position and one out, second baseman Daniel Descalso tripled home both, and then scored on the same play as Segura's throw ricocheted off the runner's foot and into the dugout (ruled an error).

Facing RHP Brad Brach, the Phillies threatened in the ninth with Maikel Franco's one-out double, and Andrew McCutchen's two-out walk putting two runners total on base. Segura capitalized with a bloop RBI single to tie the game at 4, while also extending his MLB-leading hitting streak to 11 games; he was thrown out at second to end the scoring threat, however.

Fast-forwarding to the 10th, with two outs and down 1-2, Realmuto put the Phillies back on top, 5-4, with a home run to left-center field, his sixth. The long ball marked the first time the All-Star-caliber catcher homered in back-to-back games in a Phillies uniform.

Southpaw Adam Morgan and RHP Juan Nicasio combined to close out the game in the bottom of the 10th; Morgan struck out Jason Heyward, while Nicasio induced a double play for the last two outs to end the game and record the save.

Like Arrieta, Cubs starter RHP Yu Darvish also posted a quality start, tossing six innings while allowing three runs on four hits, three walks and seven strikeouts. The four-time All-Star entered the outing with a career 0-5 record and 5.73 ERA at Wrigley Field in eight starts, and a career 1-0 record and 0.73 ERA in two starts opposite the Phillies.

Game Notes:

• With his sixth inning walk, Harper has now reached base in all of his 18 career games played at Wrigley Field.
• The Cubs were the only team Arrieta had never faced in his career; he pitched in parts of five seasons with the Cubs from 2013 to 2017, winning the 2015 National League Cy Young Award and 2016 World Series.
• Cubs shortstop Javier Baez sat out of the Cubs; he suffered a heel contusion on Sunday against the Washington Nationals and was considered day-to-day.
• Arrieta made his 60th career regular season start at Wrigley Field; his last such appearance at the venue was a six-scoreless-inning performance opposite the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 29, 2017. His last overall appearance at Wrigley came in Game 4 of the 2017 NLCS opposite the Los Angeles Dodgers (W, 6 2/3 IP, 3 H, R, ER, 5 BB, 9 SO).
• The Phillies won their first game at Wrigley since June 5, 2018. The club has not won a series at the venue since July 24-26, 2015.

What's Next:

• Tuesday, May 21, 2019: at Chicago Cubs, 7:05 p.m.
  • Wrigley Field, Chicago, Il.
  • RHP Zach Eflin (5-4, 2.89 ERA) vs. LHP Jose Quintana (4-3, 3.68 ERA)
  • TV: NBCSP, ESPN; Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP