Gameday 6: Phillies vs. Cubs
Philadelphia Phillies (3-2) at Chicago Cubs (1-4)
Starting Pitchers:
PHI: RHP A.J. Burnett (0-0, 1.50)
vs.
CHI: RHP Carlos Villanueva (0-2, 13.50)
Time: 2:20, Wrigley Field
TV: CSN
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 54
Media: Twitter and Facebook
A Note for Tonight:
The Phillies will be looking to bring out the brooms on Sunday afternoon, as they attempt to sweep the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field for the first time since 2009. The Cubs are still looking for their first home win of the season, their 100th in the confines of Wrigley Field. Carlos Villanueva will be looking to stop the Phillies from sweeping. Villanueva, who has already earned two losses on the season, will be making his first start of the year. The 30-year-old righty appeared in two late-inning relief appearances against the Pirates, and gave up the walk-off runs in both contests. Villanueva is 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA in 14 career games against the Phillies. However, 13 of those games were out of the bullpen, and his sole start against the Phillies came with the Toronto Blue Jays on July 2, 2011, when he went 6 2/3 innings with three earned runs in Roy Halladay’s winning return to Toronto.
The Phillies will be sending AJ Burnett out to the mound for his second start of the season. Burnett had a solid if unspectacular debut for the Phillies against the Rangers when he yielded just one run in six innings, however, had some clear control problems as he walked three batters and gave up seven hits as well in a no decision. The good news for the Phillies is that Burnett has never lost in Wrigley Field. Burnett is 5-0 in his career at Wrigley Field, and 7-2 overall with a 2.99 ERA in 11 lifetime games against the Cubs. The Phillies have outscored the Cubs 9-2 so far in the series. If the Phillies can continue to stay patient at the plate and work the count as they have been, there is no reason why they shouldn’t be able to get to right-hander Carlos Villanueva. With Burnett backing the Phillies offense up on the mound, they very well may get their first three-game sweep in Wrigley Field since 2009.
Lineup:
Revere CF / Rollins SS / Utley 2B / Howard 1B / Byrd RF / Brown LF / Ruiz C / Asche 3B / Burnett P
