CHICAGO — Cliff Lee showed again why the Philadelphia Phillies may’ve made the best deal of all before the trade deadline.

Lee won his third straight start since joining the Phillies, and the NL East leaders beat the slumping Chicago Cubs 6-1 Thursday for their first sweep at Wrigley Field in 25 years.
The reigning AL Cy Young winner allowed one run and six hits over eight innings, and Ryan Howard and Pedro Feliz backed him with homers.
“Anytime you go out there and do your job effectively and give your team a chance, you have to be happy with that. I was able to do that today and I’ve done that since I’ve been here,” Lee said.
“I’m really pleased with that and hopefully I can continue heading in that direction. ... Hopefully we’ll get into the playoffs and once we get there there’s no telling what can happen. If we keep playing the way we are we’ll be in a good spot.”
The Phillies were swept by the Marlins last weekend at home, but rebounded against the listless Cubs, who’ve lost five straight and seven of eight.
Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel gave his team a talking-to after losing three straight to the Marlins. And the World Series champs were definitely listening.
“Charlie doesn’t usually talk unless there’s something that he feels he needs to address. That was obviously something that he felt like he needed to address and it was kind of a wake-up call,” said Howard, whose homer ended a 57 at-bat long-ball drought, tying his career longest.
Shane Victorino had two hits and scored twice. The All-Star center fielder had no problems with the crowd, a day after he was doused with beer while catching a fly ball, prompting Victorino to file a police report.
Police said the incident was being investigating as a “simple battery.” Victorino got a personal apology from Cubs chairman Crane Kenney before the game. The security in the bleachers is among the heaviest at Wrigley Field and it was not known if it was increased Thursday.
The Phillies posted their first sweep at Wrigley Field since June 14-17, 1984, when they won four straight.
“It’s been a struggle,” Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. “The fact is we’ve had trouble beating teams with winning records. There is no sense denying it.”
Lee struck out eight and walked three to win his sixth straight start overall. He also helped himself with a double.
He also got victories in his last three starts with the Indians before being traded to the Phillies on July 29.
“He’s going out there and making quality pitches over and over and over,” Phils catcher Paul Bako said. “That’s going to work against basically any lineup that you’re going to face.”
Sure did against the Cubs.
“We’ve been inconsistent,” Chicago’s Derrek Lee said. “That’s obvious. We’re just not playing good. ... There is only so much talking you can do. It’s the middle of August.”
Howard hit his 27th homer, a three-run shot off Ryan Dempster (6-6). Two batters later, Feliz added his ninth of the season, a solo drive for a 4-0 lead.
Feliz hit an RBI single in the fifth to make it 5-1, and Chase Utley delivered a run-scoring single in the seventh.
Chicago got its run in the fifth on Jeff Baker’s double, a sacrifice and RBI single by Ryan Theriot.
The Cubs threatened in the second when two walks and Jake Fox’s single loaded the bases, but Lee fanned Dempster to end it.
Dempster, in his fourth start since coming off the disabled list with a broken toe — an injury he got hopping over the dugout railing — gave up a leadoff single to Victorino in the fourth. After Utley worked a walk, Howard sent a high fly to left field that carried into the seats and put the Phillies ahead 3-0. Feliz’s homer also sailed into the left-field bleachers.
NOTES: Lee pitched against the Cubs at Wrigley Field in June while still with the Indians. Cleveland led 7-0 in that interleague game, and Lee departed after seven innings with the Indians ahead 7-2. Chicago rallied for an 8-7 victory in 10 innings. ... Theriot reached a career-high 46 RBIs with his fifth inning single. He drove in 45 in 2007.