Kris Bryant's RBI double in the top of the fifth inning served two purposes. It set the new Chicago Cubs rookie record for RBI's in a single season at 87, and it drove home the game-winning run in the Cubs' 5-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies (54-86) in Game 1 of Friday night's double header. The Cubs (81-58) are now a season-high 23 games over the .500 mark.

With two outs and the score tied at 1-1 in the fifth, Bryant drove a low line drive past shortstop Freddy Galvis to score Austin Jackson from second base (video). Bryant's RBI surpassed the total of 86, the record previously held by former Cubs catcher Geovany Soto (2008) and Hall of Fame outfielder Billy Williams (1961) for the new team rookie record. Both Soto and Williams won the National League Rookie of the Year award. Soto now catches for the Chicago White Sox.

Bryant was 2 for 5 with that record-setting RBI in Game 1.

MLB.com's Carrie Muskat laid out the case for Bryant's 2015 Rookie of the Year claim. Muskat writes,

"Bryant also leads all Major League rookies in RBIs, and [he] is first in slugging percentage, on-base percentage, OPS and game-winning RBIs. He has 23 homers, second among Major League rookies behind the Dodgers' Joc Pederson (24)."

In fact, the Cubs have very strong candidates for all four major National League awards.

Just before Bryant's double, Jackson tied the game with an RBI double of his own into the left-field corner (video). Dexter Fowler raced around from first to score the tying run. 

The Cubs tacked on two more in the sixth thanks to Addison Russell's two-run double into the same corner (video). Starlin Castro and Javier Baez scored after leading off the inning with back-to-back singles. Castro capped the scoring with a solo home run (8) into the right-center-field bleachers off reliever Hector Neris (video). 

Aaron Altherr homered (3) in the bottom of the second to put the Phillies on the board (video). The Phillies, though, did not mount any serious scoring threats.

Jake Arrieta (W: 19-6, 1.99 ERA) made another case for National League Cy Young votes by pitching eight innings of one-run ball in reducing his ERA to just under 2.00. Arrieta allowed six hits while walking two and striking out seven. He served up Altherr's home run, but he won his 10th consecutive road decision in his last 12 opportunities. Justin Grimm allowed a hit in the ninth but nothing else. 

Adam Morgan (L: 5-6, 4.60) allowed four earned runs on seven hits in 5+ innings. He walked one and fanned five. 

With the win, the Cubs pulled to within two games of the Pittsburgh Pirates for the top N.L. Wild Card position. The Pirates are hosting the Milwaukee Brewers. 

In Game 2, the Cubs will send Kyle Hendricks (6-6, 4.08) to the mound, and Philadelphia will counter with Alec Asher (0-2, 10.61), making only his third Major League start.