Phillies Change Managers, Then Lose

Jerry Mumphrey’s three-run pinch home run in the eighth inning Thursday helped the Chicago Cubs beat Philadelphia, 9-7, in Lee Elia’s debut as the Phillies’ manager.

The homer gave the Cubs a 9-5 lead, but the Phillies came back with two runs in the ninth before Lee Smith came on to get his 18th save and third in as many games.

Elia, 49, who replaced John Felske earlier in the day, said: “It was fun. I was proud of the way they broke their tails and came back twice. But the home run hurt us today, no question about it.”

The firing of Felske, 45, was announced before the game.

“This is very emotional,” said Elia, who managed the Cubs for more than a year in 1982-83. “I had a strong relationship with Felske. This is never an easy situation.”

Elia’s contract is for the rest of the season, but Phillie President Bill Giles, who flew here to make the announcement, said: “Hopefully, we’ll have him around for many years in the future.”

Third baseman Mike Schmidt, one of Felske’s most vocal critics, said of the fired manager: “He was a kind, thoughtful and sensitive man. But in order for us to turn it around, a change had to be made.”

The Phillies went into Thursday’s game with a 29-32 record, trailing the first-place St. Louis Cardinals by 9 1/2 games in the National League East, and had lost two straight to the Cubs. Elia said he planned “no miracle changes or changes of any consequence immediately,” adding: “There’s no one singular thing that might be a catalyst.”

Two-run homers by Rafael Palmeiro and Keith Moreland in the third inning gave the Cubs a 4-1 lead Thursday. The Cubs stayed ahead throughout, although the Phillies scored three runs in the seventh to knock out Rick Sutcliffe (9-3).

Mike Jackson (1-5) took the loss, but it was reliever Kent Tekulve who gave up Mumphrey’s homer after Paul Noce had doubled and Mike Brumley had walked.

It was Mumphrey’s second pinch homer of the season, both against the Phillies, and the fourth of his career.

The Phillies jumped ahead in the first inning on Juan Samuel’s 11th homer, into the left-field bleachers, extending his hitting streak to 13 games.