Philadelphia Phillies Retro Scorecard Recap: August 1, 2007

It’s time for another blast from the past, as I recount a Philadelphia Phillies game from yesteryear on its anniversary. And today, I’ll be doing something different, as I’ll take you back to when I hit the road to see the Phils face the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field 14 years ago today on August 1, 2007.

I buy a full-blown program, as this is only my second trip to Wrigley, and I immediately hate the scorecard upon opening it up. Both teams are stacked on a single page. It’s gonna be tight. But there’s an actual game to be played, as two good clubs meet for the third of a four-game set after having split the first two.

We’ve got a pair of lefties on the mound, as Jamie Moyer goes for the Phillies against Chicago’s Rich Hill. Yes, the same Rich Hill that’s still pitching in 2021. And I think Moyer is too, actually. He’s only 58. For Moyer, it was probably always special to pitch at the Friendly Confines since he started his MLB career with the Cubs.

More from Section 215

• 4 Eagles on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots
• Best Pennsylvania Sportsbook Promos: Win $650 GUARANTEED Bonus PLUS $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket
• 3 Punters the Eagles Must Target to Replace Arryn Siposs
• Cowboys Trey Lance Trade Proves How Screwed They Are With Dak Prescott
• Devon Allen Took Britain Covey’s Job on Eagles

Each team scores in the first, and then the Cubs pull ahead 2-1 in the second courtesy of a single by Hill that plates Jason Kendall, whom I have no recollection of having played in Chicago. The Cubs then surge to a 4-1 lead in the third thanks to back-to-back run-scoring hits by Ronny Cedeno and Jacque Jones. The Phils’ bats have their work cut out for them.

We get to the fifth inning, and the Phils start to cook with a leadoff double by Tadahito Iguchi. Yes, it was the famous “Summer of Iguchi,” as the Phillies traded their pitching coach’s son (that’s cold) to get him from the White Sox after Chase Utley had broken his hand. Utley, by the way, only missed 28 games with the injury. Beast. But it was Iguchi’s show for a few weeks, and he’d score just moments later in this particular inning on an RBI double by Ryan Howard. The next hitter is Aaron Rowand. He goes yard, and it’s a 4-4 ballgame.

On this day in 2007, the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs battled it out at Wrigley Field.

That’s it for the scoring for a good while, with Moyer and Hill both long gone from the game as each team gets a few hurlers deep into their bullpens. Among the pitchers to have successful outings are the Phillies’ “El Pulpo,” Antonio Alfonseca, and current Cub/future Phillies World Series champ Scott Eyre.

We’re all the way to the ninth, and it’s still tied. Jimmy Rollins does his best to change that up, stealing second and third bases against Ryan Dempster. But he and Rowand are both left stranded, and it’s on to the bottom of the ninth. Phillies closer Brett Myers, recently back after missing two months thanks to Rod Barajas’ inability to bend his knees, takes the hill in an attempt to get this one into extras.

Myers’ start is less than ideal, as he allows a leadoff double to some guy named Matt Murton. Murton then goes to third on a wild pitch, and Myers ends up walking Cedeno. Next, he issues an intentional walk to Jones to load the bases with nobody out, setting up a forceout at any base. Myers settles down momentarily by getting Kendall to whiff. It’s just delaying the inevitable, however, as he uncorks another wild one, and Murton scurries home to deliver a 5-4 win to the Cubs.

It’s an ending that leaves a bad taste in the mouths of the many Phillies faithful who’ve made the trip to the Windy City to attend. I do get to see a win the next day, though, as the Phils bust out the bats in a 10-6 win to split the series in Chicago. I guess I could be happy with that for a two-game trip.

In the aftermath, both the Phillies and Cubs would reach the playoffs that year, although they were each swept in the divisional round. And only one of these teams brought home a World Series title with the group of players they had at that time. Games like these, even the losses, have me really nostalgic for that burgeoning era of fantastic Philadelphia Phillies baseball. I wonder when we’ll get back to that time.