Cody Bellinger drives in 4 runs in the Cubs’ 10-4 win over the Phillies

Cody Bellinger recorded a triple, two singles, and four RBIs, leading the Chicago Cubs to a decisive 10-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday evening.

Kyle Schwarber achieved his 38th home run of the season, while Bryce Harper marked his 30th for the Phillies, who secured their first NL East title in 13 years on Monday night. Manager Rob Thomson opted to field his regular lineup, excluding catcher J.T. Realmuto, as Philadelphia aims to establish home-field advantage in the National League playoffs.

“You obviously want to go out there and keep winning. It didn’t work out for us,” Schwarber remarked. “You tip your hat. The most important thing is to move past this and concentrate on the next four games.”

The Phillies (93-65) have four games left in the season and must at least tie with the Brewers to earn a first-round playoff bye. Milwaukee triumphed over Pittsburgh on Tuesday night, narrowing the gap to 2.5 games behind the Phillies.

“We want to keep pushing and winning baseball games,” Schwarber emphasized.

Additionally, Philadelphia can secure home-field advantage in the NL Championship Series by finishing the season tied with or ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who entered Tuesday night with a record of 93-63.

After Harper put the Phillies ahead 1-0 in the first inning with his 30th home run of the season, Philadelphia faced a significant setback in the second inning, as Tanner Banks (2-3) and Taijuan Walker allowed six runs to score.

“We had a really good inning,” commented Cubs manager Craig Counsell.

Walker, who entered into a four-year, $72 million free-agent contract before the commencement of the 2023 season, faced a challenging situation with the bases loaded and one out, receiving significant boos from the crowd, particularly after issuing back-to-back walks with the bases full. The discontent among Phillies supporters intensified when Seiya Suzuki delivered a two-run single.

The Phillies will not require a fifth starter for the remainder of the season, a position that has been a vulnerability for much of the year, particularly in the latter half.

In the bottom of the inning, Philadelphia managed to score a run thanks to Garrett Stubbs’ RBI bunt single, during which Stubbs executed a headfirst slide into first base, narrowly avoiding Bellinger.

The Cubs extended their lead in the sixth inning, scoring four additional runs, with Bellinger’s bases-clearing triple to right field serving as a highlight.

“We had runners on base all night,” Counsell remarked.

Drew Smyly (4-8) contributed a scoreless inning in relief of Cubs starter Justin Steele, who surrendered two runs over four innings.

“Overall, it was a solid performance,” Counsell commented regarding the Cubs’ pitching staff.

Dansby Swanson recorded two doubles for Chicago, while Pete Crow-Armstrong achieved three hits.

In the eighth inning, Schwarber hit a two-run home run.