Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 6, Phillies 4 – June 6, 2016
You can blame me for that 9th inning, if you’re into jinxes and the like. I typed this as the bottom of the frame got underway: “It’s remarkable how a game featuring so many minor frustrations (and one big unnerving injury) can still be a game the Cubs win in completely unremarkable fashion.”
Whoopsiedoodle.
The early innings in this one featured an erratic strike zone, missed opportunities, a near-homer for Kris Bryant that shrank from a triple to a double on review (and ultimately cost the Cubs a run), and runs left on the board. It didn’t look like it was going to matter, as the Cubs still put up a six spot, and Jon Lester was dominant through eight scoreless innings.
But then Justin Grimm gave up a couple hits and a homer to open the 9th, Hector Rondon gave up a homer of his own, and things got mighty dicey.
Thankfully, Rondon got Ryan Howard to ground out to end the thing, even as he represented the shockingly tying run.