Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Jake Arrieta spun seven scoreless innings of two-hit ball to help guide the Chicago Cubs to a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park on Friday.
Arrieta (2-1), who has allowed more than one run in just two of his eight starts this year, walked only one batter while tying a career-high with nine strikeouts.
"Great job," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said of Arrieta. "It looked like his ball had a lot of life. He got us through seven innings. He did a really good job."
Starlin Castro blasted a two-run homer and Anthony Rizzo walked twice and scored a run for the Cubs, who snapped a two-game skid.
Roberto Hernandez (2-5), who lasted 5 2/3 innings before being ejected after hitting Castro in the elbow with a pitch, allowed two runs on three hits and two walks while fanning five to absorb the loss.
"We weren't trying to hit anybody, Hernandez wasn't trying to hit anybody," said Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg. "Typically there's a warning if he thinks it's on purpose."
Jimmy Rollins tied Mike Schmidt for the most hits in franchise history with 2,234 on his double off the right-field wall to start the ninth inning for the Phillies, who had their three-game winning streak snapped.
Cubs reliever Neil Ramirez, who took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth, made the frame interesting on the way to his second save of the season.
Rollins doubled to lead off the ninth and advanced to third on defensive indifference. Marlon Byrd worked a two-out walk and Domonic Brown's base hit to right made it 2-1. With runners on the corners Ramirez got Carlos Ruiz looking at strike three to end the game.
After a Rizzo walk to start the fourth, Castro smashed a homer to left-center field.
Brown recorded the first Phillies' hit in the fifth with a one-out double that landed on the left-field line, but a Ruiz groundout and a Reid Brignac line out ended the inning.
Ruiz led off the eighth with a single to center off Pedro Strop and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Strop stranded Ruiz there by producing three consecutive groundouts.
Game Notes
Sandberg was also ejected in the sixth inning by home plate umpire Mark Ripperger for arguing about Hernandez's ejection ... Prior to the game, the Cubs activated outfielder Ryan Sweeney from the 15-day disabled list and placed utilityman Emilio Bonifacio on the 15-day DL with right rib cage inflammation ... Rollins extended his hit streak to eight games, going 1-for-4
... The Phillies were 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position ... Chicago is 8-4 all-time when wearing throwback uniforms.