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Phillies Hold Off Cubs, Split Series

The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 1, 2008

CHICAGO - Jayson Werth hurt the Chicago Cubs again, and Jamie Moyer and the Philadelphia bullpen took over from there.

Werth hit another home run against the Cubs and Moyer got his 12th win, leading the Phillies to a 5-3 victory that salvaged a split of their four-game series at Wrigley Field.

"It speaks volumes for this club," Werth said after Philadelphia's second straight win against the team with the best record in the NL. "We've been playing good all year. ... I think especially to split the series here in Chicago, against the Cubs, at home, I think it says a lot."

Werth hit a two-run double in the first and a solo drive in the fifth for his 21st homer of the season. Werth, who went deep twice and drove in four runs in Philly's 5-2 win Saturday, went 11-for-21 with four homers and 10 RBIs against the Cubs this season.

In the four games at Wrigley Field, he was 7-for-13 with three homers and seven RBIs.

Chicago was without ace Carlos Zambrano, who was scratched to give him some time to rest his tired arm. He'll pitch again Tuesday against the Astros.

The Cubs left 10 runners on base and 19 total in the last two games of the series. They also managed 11 singles and no extra-base hits for the second straight game.

The missing offense left Manager Lou Piniella a little testy. Asked if it was frustrating, Piniella said: "Why is it frustrating? Why should it be. Are we supposed to win every day? I don't think so."

How about the tendency to leave runners on?

"Listen, if we could get guys in every time we got men on base, we'd be 162-0 and that's not going to happen," he said.

But then Piniella's voice rose in anger when asked if he was OK with his team's effort.

"What the hell am I supposed to be? Not OK?" he asked.

The Phillies remained a game behind the NL East-leading Mets, who won 6-2 against the Florida Marlins. The Cubs' NL Central lead was trimmed to 4 1/2 games over Milwaukee, which blanked Pittsburgh 7-0 on Sunday.

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