July 25, 2015 Cubs.Com Lester Gets No-Decision Despite
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July 25, 2015 Cubs.com Lester gets no-decision despite effective start By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Jon Lester didn't look at the Phillies' record before he took the mound on Friday, which was Day 8 of the Cubs' 17-game stretch against sub-.500 teams. That doesn't matter to the left-hander. "They're still big leaguers," Lester said. "They're still the best players in the planet. They're there for a reason. They haven't quit, you saw that today." The Phillies rallied from a 3-2 deficit to tie the game in the ninth and then pulled ahead in the 10th on Jeff Francoeur's two-run homer in the Cubs' 5-3 loss. Lester was in line for the win, but instead, he's 1-3 with a 2.05 ERA in his last eight starts. And the Cubs now are 4-4 against teams which, on paper, they should beat. "I've been on that side before -- [playing on a] last-place team, and these last two and a half months [stink]," Lester said. "You're in last place, it's hot, and it seems like everything that can go wrong, goes wrong. Your plane breaks down or your hotel room's not ready -- it all seems to come to a head. "We still have to play good baseball, regardless of who we're playing. You have to have that invisible-opponent mentality of where they are in the standings. You have to take each day that we have to win today. We played good baseball today. They just beat us." The Cubs began the day in possession of the second National League Wild Card spot, and there have been rumors swirling that the team is looking to add more pitching. What would it mean if they added another starter? "I think we're pretty darn good right now," Lester said. "Having an addition would be a shot in the arm to maybe take some pressure off the other four guys, but I don't think we can worry about that right now. ... If Theo and those guys decide that's what we need, then great. If they decide we're going to stand pat, great." Lester was referring to Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein, who has said the team is pursuing more pitching depth. However, what's hurting the Cubs lately has been a collective offensive funk. Chicago ranked 13th in the NL in batting average in July, and it went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position on Friday. "They're figuring it out," Lester said of the Cubs' rookies. "I don't think you can talk about a full season until you play a full season. ... Those guys are learning, and we need them to learn." -- Cubs.com Two HRs support Lester, but 'pen falters late By Carrie Muskat and Todd Zolecki CHICAGO -- Cody Asche hit a game-tying double in the ninth inning and Jeff Francoeur smacked a two-run homer with two outs in the 10th to lift the Phillies to a 5-3 victory Friday over the Cubs in front of 41,230 at Wrigley Field. The Phils tied the game at 3 with one out in the ninth against Jason Motte when Freddy Galvis tripled and scored on Asche's double. It was Motte's first blown save of the season. In the 10th, Cesar Hernandez singled and two outs later Francoeur connected against Rafael Soriano for his ninth home run. "Ruin other teams," Francoeur said, asked if the last-place Phillies would like to play spoiler in the second half. "That's what you want to do. At this point, that's why you want to play." Chicago starter Jon Lester was in line for the win after serving up two runs over seven innings, but he did not get a decision. In five starts in July, the left-hander has a 1.58 ERA, allowing six earned runs over 35 1/3 innings. "If there's anything we didn't do well, it's get the hit when we needed it," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of his team, which was 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position, stranding 10. "The opportunities were there." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Frenchy does it: Francoeur's last eight days have been pretty memorable. He hit a pinch-hit three-run homer July 17 in a 6-3 victory over Miami and a walk-off two-run homer Sunday in an 8-7 victory over Miami before hitting the game-winner Friday against Cubs reliever Rafael Soriano. "The last year and the year before, I was always in my own head trying to do too much," Francoeur said. "Now it's just, 'Show up and have fun.' So far it's working out." Doing it all: The fourth inning was all Chris Coghlan. The left fielder threw out Francoeur at home plate in top half and set a career high with his 10th home run in the bottom half, connecting with one runner on base. Coghlan hit nine homers in 2009, when he won Rookie of the Year with the Marlins, and also last year with the Cubs. Chicago began Friday ranked last in home runs in July with 10. Asche's big day: Lester and Cubs catcher David Ross thought they struck out Asche on a pitch in the fourth inning, but home-plate umpire Tony Randazzo thought differently. Asche took advantage and hit a two-out double off the center-field wall to score two runs and hand the Phillies a 2-1 lead. Asche then doubled into the ivy in center field with one out in the ninth to score Galvis to tie the game. "The most important guy on the field didn't think it was a strike," Lester said. "You have to go back to making pitches. The cutter didn't quite get all the way down and away like we wanted it. It wasn't a terrible pitch, but it wasn't ideal." Kid stuff: Kris Bryant came into Friday's game batting .194 (13-for-67) in his past 18 games with two home runs, both coming on July 4. Maddon noted that Bryant, the Minor League Player of the Year last season, hasn't had to deal with slumps very much offensively. Maybe the rookie will get going after hitting an opposite-field home run with two outs in the third. "They're figuring it out," Lester said of the Cubs rookies. "I don't think you can talk about a full season until you play a full season. ... Those guys are learning, and we need them to learn." Williams OK in return: The last time Jerome Williams pitched for the Phillies, Bob McClure was waving a white towel to get the attention of the Phillies' bullpen at Oriole Park because the phone was off the hook. Williams injured himself in that game, and he returned to face the Cubs. He allowed six hits, three runs, one walk, two home runs and struck out four in six innings. It was his furth quality start in 15 outings this season. "I'm flushing that first half down the toilet," said Williams, who is 3-7 with a 6.28 ERA. "It's a new half. I just want to go about my business and try to finish strong." QUOTABLE "A big play by [Maikel] Franco with the bases loaded. What a play. Fantastic play. It saved a run." -- Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin, on Franco's barehanded effort to end the eighth inning with the bases loaded "It's one of those things. It happens. I went out there and I was able to keep the guy off second, just keep it where it was and give us a shot. It stinks. Cut it up there and learn from it, and get better tomorrow." – Motte WHAT'S NEXT Phillies: Saturday's 4:05 p.m. ET contest against the Cubs could be Cole Hamels' final start in a Phillies uniform. The Phils would like to trade him before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, but he needs to help himself. He has a 19.89 ERA in his last two starts. Cubs: Jake Arrieta will make his 20th start of the season on Saturday in the second game of this three-game series. Arrieta is riding a stretch of six consecutive quality starts, and is 5-0 with a 0.96 ERA in that stretch with 44 strikeouts over 46 2/3 innings. First pitch is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. CT. -- Cubs.com Hoyer: Second-half 'solutions are within' By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- A year ago at this time, the Cubs had already made most of their moves prior to the non-waiver Trade Deadline, including the blockbuster deal that sent Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to the Athletics. But last season, Chicago was out of contention in July. This year, the club is in the mix for a National League Wild Card spot, and general manager Jed Hoyer's conversations with other teams are more from a buyer's perspective. "There's a very long week to go, and I think things will probably go up and down a few times in that stretch as far as supply and demand goes," Hoyer said Friday. "There are three, four, five teams actively assessing their situation on a day-to-day basis, and that's the nature of the second Wild Card. "There are teams right around .500 who may not feel they've had a good run so far, but still feel they're not that far out of the race.