PHILADELPHIA – With all the comings and goings on the Cubs’ roster, it’s getting hard to tell who some of these guys are these days.
In some cases, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel’s not even sure he’s seeing the same Cub players at-bat to at-bat.
“All of a sudden, Murphy’s become Babe Ruth,” the confounded manager said Wednesday night.
That would be Donnie Murphy – not to be confused with Dale, except, maybe this week.
Murphy is the guy the Cubs signed to a minor-league deal in April after he was released by the Brewers. The guy called up Saturday when Julio Borbon was sent out due to the Cubs’ zero-tolerance bonehead policy.
He’s the guy who became the team’s starting third baseman Tuesday after Luis Valbuena went on the DL.
And now he’s the guy who snapped the Cubs’ five-game losing streak with a three-run homer in the ninth inning Wednesday night for a 5-2 victory over the Phillies – his second homer of the game and third in two nights.
“Don’t expect it every night,” Murphy said after Wednesday’s game.
If Sveum is still trying to get a handle on Murphy’s identity, he doesn’t seem to care.
What he knows: “I think he might be leading our team in three-run homers now already.”
Murphy has spent parts of eight seasons in the big leagues with five different teams.
His two-homer game Wednesday was his first since 2008 with the Oakland A’s.
And, with Sveum raving about the fielding he’s seeing from Murphy as well, he’s not going anywhere else anytime soon.
“No reason to change,” Sveum said.
Murphy seems soft-spoken. But he plays loud enough to have seven RBIs in the last two games.
“It’s Donnie Murphy Week,” said one clubhouse wise guy Wednesday night.
“And we have four days left,” said another.
Said Murphy: “I’m basically going day to day right now. Whatever happens, happens. Hopefully, these last two months, I can put together a good run and help the team anyway I can and finish strong.”
