CHICAGO _ Jeremy Hellickson had performed so well in his first five starts that Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said it looked like the veteran was simply playing catch. Hellickson made pitching look effortless as he found success in the season's first month.
But there was nothing effortless about Tuesday night as Hellickson struggled in an 8-3 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Hellickson was roughed up for six runs on eight hits in four innings. The right-hander struck out two and walked two. He gave up three homers in his shortest start since last August.
Hellickson entered the game among the National League leaders in WHIP and ERA. Perhaps he was due for a night like this.
Tommy Joseph finished 1 for 2 with a walk and an RBI double. He has four RBIs in his two games in May as he tries to move past a miserable April. Aaron Altherr homered in the first and reached base three times as he continues to hit in the absence of Howie Kendrick.
But the Phillies did little else. They loaded the bases with one out in the fifth but failed to produce another base runner for the rest of the game. The Phillies finished the game with 14 straight batters retired in order.
Mark Leiter Jr. relieved Hellickson in the fifth and allowed two runs in his first inning. But the rookie responded with two scoreless frames in the first multi-inning appearance of his career. He allowed one hit, walked three, and struck out one. The right-hander got off to a rocky start but then held his own against the defending champions. The Phillies do not have a long reliever. Maybe that role will belong to Leiter.
Hellickson's night unraveled in the fourth. He retired the first two batters and seemed to cruise until giving up a single to Jon Lester, the opposing pitcher. It was Lester's first hit of the season. Javier Baez roped a single and Kyle Schwarber blasted a three-run homer. Hellickson had already been tagged for homers by Kris Bryant and Baez, who finished a double shy of the cycle.
Bryant followed Schwarber's homer with a triple and Hellickson then hit Anthony Rizzo. The trouble continued. Ben Zobrist smacked a double to right field, scoring Bryant from second. The nightmare inning finally ended with Rizzo thrown out at home. Hellickson needed 31 pitches to finish the fourth, none of which were easy.
