BOX SCORE
CHICAGOLots of folks have wondered why the Phillies have lugged Michael Martinez on their roster all season. Lately, the 28-year-old utility man is showing why.
Martinez was the ultimate difference-maker in one of the best wins of the season Tuesday night. His RBI double to right with two outs in the top of the ninth brought the Phillies all the way back from the dead and propelled them to a 4-2 win over the Chicago Cubs in front of almost as many Phillies fans as Cubs fans at Wrigley Field.
Hes an athlete, starting pitcher Cliff Lee said of Martinez, who made a sterling play behind Lee at third base to save a run early in the game. Nothing he does surprises me.
Martinez, plucked off Washingtons Triple A roster in the Rule 5 draft in December, saw limited action in the first three months of the season, but he has seen more time lately as third baseman Placido Polanco has gone down with a bad back.
Just this month, Martinez has had a four-hit game in a victory and a four-RBI game in another victory. He also drove in the only run in a 1-0 win at Florida.
All this was prelude to Tuesday night.
MLB
The Phillies did nothing offensively in the early innings. In fact, they didnt get their second hit until the seventh inning and didnt score a run until the eighth.
The Phils appeared to be cooked when Cubs starter Matt Garza struck out Chase Utley and Ryan Howard (1 for 19 since the all-star break) with a man on third to end the top of the sixth. The Cubs were up 2-0 at that point and Garza was cruising while the Phils were sleepwalking.
Two innings later, however, Garza allowed a leadoff single to Jimmy Rollins and was replaced by lefty Sean Marshall, who allowed a single to Martinez. With two runners on base, Utley had a chance to redeem himself and did just that, lacing a 1-1 pitch to the gap in left-center to score two runs. Utley was eventually erased at the plate, but the Phillies kept the pressure on Marshall in the ninth.
Ben Francisco came through with a two-out pinch-hit single in the ninth and Rollins followed with a single. Up came Martinez, who stroked an 0-1 slider down the right-field line to score two runs.
Martinez beamed as he dressed in the cramped visiting clubhouse at Wrigley Field.
Im happy to contribute and get some big hits when we need them, Martinez said with third base coach Juan Samuel translating.
Martinez will likely continue to see time at third base as Polanco wont come off the disabled list on Wednesday. His back pain, caused by a bulging disc, has been slow to subside, and he will have an epidural injection on Thursday.
There were other key contributors besides Martinez.
Lee was hit hard early. He threw 48 pitches in the first two innings, but just 41 in the next four as he found his location and threw enough off-speed pitches to keep the Cubs in check after allowing a double and a homer in the first inning.
Rollins had two table-setting hits in the eighth and ninth innings and scored two important runs.
Rookie reliever Mike Stutes recorded six key outs and got away with a fastball over the plate when he was trying to pitch around slugger Carlos Pena in the eighth.
Sometimes the baseball gods are with you, manager Charlie Manuel said.
Yeah, Stutes said. The 1-0 pitch cut over the plate. It was a better pitch than I wanted it to be. I got kind of scared there.
So did Manuel. After the pitch he ordered an intentional walk of Pena.
Despite the win, the Phils offense was once again sluggish. In fact, getting just one hit through six innings illustrated this teams need for another bat. Phils management is trying to add one before the trade deadline, and it is not likely to let a very good win on July 19 stop the pursuit.
Manuel is on record as saying he wants to add a good hitter. But he was quick to give Garza some praise.
He was aggressive with his fastball and he changed speeds really well, Manuel said. He made really good pitches on Utley and Howard in that sixth inning.
We had a hard time getting a hit much less a run for most of the game, but we stayed after them and got it done.
E-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com