PHILADELPHIA — With the bases loaded and the score tied in the 11th inning Monday, acting Cubs manager Ryan Flaherty went out to make a defensive change. Third-base coach Quintin Berry waved in left fielder Ian Happ, an infielder’s glove in his hand.
The Cubs were going to a five-man infield. It was a last-ditch effort with Phillies left-handed hitter Brandon Marsh at the plate.
It didn’t work. Marsh drove a walk-off single off the wall in left-center field to beat the Cubs 4-3.
‘‘We had five hits,’’ said manager Craig Counsell, who was ejected in the bottom of the ninth. ‘‘So there wasn’t a lot of offense tonight. We had some big swings. [Kyle] Tucker, obviously, big swing. Ian with a big swing. Pete [Crow-Armstrong] with a big swing. But ultimately that means not a lot of action on the bases, not a lot of pressure innings. And that eventually came back to bite us.’’
Going into the eighth, the Cubs’ only run had come on a solo home run by Tucker in the first. They had only three hits. Then the switch-hitting Happ tied the score with his first homer of the season from the right side after hitting his first four left-handed.
‘‘I feel like I’ve made a lot of really good right-handed swings this year,’’ Happ said. ‘‘On the right side, it’s been pretty consistent: walking, not striking out and doing a really good job of hitting the ball hard. It’s just been low. So to get one in the air in that situation was great.’’
The Cubs then pulled ahead in the 11th on an RBI double by Crow-Armstrong.
Cubs starter Matthew Boyd, who held the Phillies to two runs (one earned) in six innings, harped on his own error on a pickoff attempt, which eventually led to the second run.
But the final unraveling came after the Phillies, who had tied the score on an RBI single by J.T. Realmuto to drive in the free runner in the 11th, loaded the bases with a pair of bunt singles.
It was the first time the Cubs had lost consecutive games in a month, since a three-game losing streak May 6-9 (two against the Giants and one against the Mets).
Counsell ejected again
Counsell went out to argue for an interference call with plate umpire Stu Scheurwater in the ninth after Phillies rookie Otto Kemp reached first on a swinging bunt, running inside the baseline.
‘‘He said it didn’t affect the play,’’ Counsell said. ‘‘I just disagree with that.’’
The ball landed between catcher Carson Kelly and reliever Brad Keller and took an awkward bounce back toward the first-base line. Keller deferred to Kelly, who fielded the ball cleanly, but his throw to first was late.
It was Counsell’s second ejection in as many days, but those are his only ejections of the season.
Hodge update
Reliever Porter Hodge, who landed on the injured list with a minor oblique strain but has been further delayed by an impingement in his left hip, is set to advance to throwing to hitters.
The weather forecast for Tuesday in Philadelphia, however, calls for morning rain. Concerned that the weather might limit pregame activity, the Cubs plan to send Hodge to Triple-A Iowa, where he’ll throw live batting practice.