Phillies top Cubs to inch closer to Mets 1 hour, 44 minutes ago

Phillies top Cubs to inch closer to Mets 1 hour, 44 minutes ago



CHICAGO - Cole Hamels pitched eight impressive innings, Tadahito Iguchi hit his first homer with Philadelphia and the Phillies beat Ted Lilly and the Chicago Cubs 4-1 Monday night for their fourth straight win.

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Aaron Rowand also hit a three-run drive for the Phillies, who have won nine of 10 and trail the NL East-leading Mets by three games. Philadelphia was 8 1/2 games back of New York on June 2.

The Phillies also made a move before the game to strengthen their pitching staff, acquiring Kyle Lohse from the Cincinnati Reds for a minor leaguer.

Hamels (12-5) allowed one run and three hits, struck out eight and walked two. The 23-year-old left-hander retired nine of the first 10 batters he faced, and also set down his last nine batters.

Brett Myers pitched a perfect ninth to complete the three-hitter and earn his seventh save.

Ryan Theriot homered in the sixth inning for the Cubs, who remain a one behind the idle Brewers in the NL Central.

Already battling injuries, the Phillies lost right fielder Shane Victorino in the fourth inning. He strained his right calf trying to beat out a double play and will have a precautionary MRI exam on Tuesday.

Lilly (11-5) had won six straight games and seven of his last eight, but was tagged for four runs and seven hits in five innings against the Phillies. It was his first loss since June 5.

Iguchi walked and Ryan Howard doubled ahead of Rowand's two-out homer in the third. It was his 15th of the season.

Iguchi, who was acquired from the White Sox on Friday, led off the fifth inning with a homer on an 0-1 pitch from Lilly. Iguchi is 4-for-10 with two RBIs with the Phillies.

Both Iguchi and Rowand played for the Chicago White Sox when they won the world championship in 2005.

Notes:@ The Phillies sent left-hander Matt Maloney to the Reds for Lohse. ... Cubs reliever Kerry Wood is scheduled to pitch in relief on Tuesday with Double-A Tennessee. If Wood, who has missed the first four months of the season with tendinitis in his surgically repaired right shoulder, suffers no setbacks, he will likely be activated either Thursday or Friday, according to general manager Jim Hendry. ... The Phillies had a scare in the fifth inning. Victorino's replacement, Michael Bourn, injured himself chasing Alfonso Soriano's foul ball. Bourn stumbled over the bullpen mound. After laying on the ground for several minutes with the team trainer checking on him, he got up and stayed in the game, but was taken out in the seventh inning with a left ankle sprain. Bourn will undergo an X-ray on Tuesday.