Jesus Luzardo returns to form as Phillies top Cubs

Jesus Luzardo allowed one run in six innings as the Philadelphia Phillies topped the visiting Chicago Cubs 7-2 on Wednesday in the rubber game of a three-game set.
After allowing 20 earned runs over his last two starts, Luzardo (6-2) returned to form in this one. The talented left-hander struck out 10 and did not walk a batter, allowing five hits and throwing 70 of 99 pitches for strikes.
Alec Bohm homered and drove in four runs for Philadelphia, which had lost 10 of its previous 12 games. Kyle Schwarber also homered for the hosts, while Trea Turner recorded two hits and scored twice.
Carson Kelly and Nico Hoerner each had two hits for Chicago, which has dropped three of its last four contests. The Cubs struck out 11 times on the day, including two apiece by Ian Happ, Kyle Tucker, Seiya Suzuki and Matt Shaw.
The Phillies jumped on Ben Brown (3-5) for three runs in the first inning.
Turner and Schwarber reached to begin the frame before a double-steal set up Bohm’s RBI groundout. Two batters later, Max Kepler drove a double into the gap to plate Schwarber. J.T. Realmuto then drilled a single off the glove of Hoerner near second base, scoring another run.
In the bottom of the second, Luzardo allowed back-to-back baserunners to begin the inning before striking out three straight hitters. He struck out two more batters in the third.
Schwarber’s leadoff homer in the third made it 4-0 and Bohm’s two-run single in the fourth increased the lead to 6-1.
Bohm opened the seventh with a solo shot against Genesis Cabrera — his first home run this month.
Kyle Tucker’s RBI groundout in the eighth capped the scoring.
Max Lazar worked the seventh and eighth innings for Philadelphia before Michael Mercado logged the ninth.
Brown gave up six runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out five for Chicago, which concluded its road trip with a 4-5 record.