CHICAGO — Jeff Francoeur continues to hit dramatic, late-game home runs for the Phillies. His third in a week lifted the team to a 5-3 win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Friday.
Francoeur’s two-run shot on a slider from Rafael Soriano broke a 3-3 tie with two outs in the 10th inning. The Phillies tied the game on an RBI double by Cody Asche with one out in the ninth.
The Phillies are 6-1 since the All-Star break.
Starting pitching report
Jerome Williams returned from more than a month on the disabled list and gave up three runs — all on a pair of home runs — in six innings of work.
Williams has a 6.28 ERA in 15 starts.
Cubs’ lefty Jon Lester held the Phillies to seven hits and two runs over seven innings. He did not walk a batter and struck out six.
Bullpen report
Jeanmar Gomez entered the game with the Phillies down by a run. He kept them in it with two scoreless innings.
Ken Giles pitched in and out of trouble in the ninth. He retired the dangerous tandem of Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo with a pair of runners on base for the final two outs and ended up with the win.
Jonathan Papelbon remained perfect with his 17th save.
Jason Motte blew the save in the ninth for the Cubs. James Russell and Soriano were charged with runs in the 10th. Soriano got the loss.
At the plate
Asche drove in the Phillies’ first two runs with a double off the center-field wall in the fourth inning. His game-tying double in the ninth was preceded by a triple from Freddy Galvis.
Asche had three RBIs on the day. He entered the game with just 14 RBIs in 254 at-bats.
Williams surrendered a solo home run to Bryant in the third and a two-run homer to Chris Coghlan in the fourth.
Health check
Maikel Franco returned to the lineup after resting his sore right elbow for two games. He made a defensive gem to save a run in the bottom of the eighth.
Up next
Cole Hamels (5-7, 3.91) looks to rebound from two poor outings when he faces Cubs’ right-hander Jake Arrieta (11-5, 2.52) on Saturday afternoon.
With the trade deadline looming, this could be Hamels’ last start with the Phillies (see story).