CHICAGO — The Cubs were oh so close to escaping the 10th inning of Sunday’s 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies with limited damage despite reliever Julian Merryweather issuing three walks.

Merryweather induced a two-out groundball to third base with the bases loaded from speedy shortstop Trea Turner. The ball was hit 83.7 mph and had a .090 expected batting average, per Statcast.

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But Vidal Bruján, making his second start of the season at the hot corner and just his 11th start there in the big leagues, played back on the ball, allowing it to come to him, and then had a slight hesitation in throwing to first base, allowing Turner to reach safely and another run to score.

“You got to go get that ball,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said after the loss. “With the speed of Turner, you got to go get it.”

That play — ruled a hit — gave the Phillies a crucial insurance run in extra innings. The visiting team always tries to play for two runs in extras because of the courtesy runner who starts at second base. They did just that with Turner’s infield single.

And it ended Merryweather’s night.

“Just wasn’t my sharpest, obviously command-wise,” Merryweather said after the game. “Just trying to get that slider back in the zone and just wasn’t as bread and butter as usual for a strike.

“Just still got to get in the zone more and use the defense.”

Ultimately, the insurance run didn’t matter, because the Cubs failed to score in the bottom of the 10th. Michael Busch struck out, Dansby Swanson lined out to left field, and Nico Hoerner ended the game with a comebacker to Phillies right-hander Jordan Romano, stranding Seiya Suzuki at second.

Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto kick-started the 10th for the Phillies with a seven-pitch walk. Max Kepler followed with a free pass of his own, and Alec Bohm drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly. The Cubs’ defense picked up the second out of the inning when Johan Rojas’ bunt was fielded by Busch, who flipped the ball to catcher Miguel Amaya to nab Realmuto at home.

Merryweather walked Bryson Stott before Turner’s infield hit to Bruján.

“Realmuto had a really good at-bat, I thought,” Counsell said. “He laid off some really close pitches, and that kind of got the inning going. And [Merryweather], he limited the damage, but we couldn’t score tonight.”