Coming off of a hard-fought win to close out a disappointing series against the Washington Nationals, the Philadelphia Phillies will host the Chicago Cubs for a weekend series. The Phillies will have their work cut out for them as the Cubs have been red-hot as of late. Currently, the Cubs have won eight of their last nine games. A Cubs victory over the Braves Thursday allowed the Phillies to edge within three games of the National League East lead. Now, as they look to close that gap, the Phillies need to cool the Cubs off.
On the mound for the Phillies in this series, we will see Nick Pivetta, Zach Eflin and Aaron Nola. Nola’s start was bumped up one day to get an extra start at home, where he’s 9-0 in 2018. He will have his work cut out for him facing yet another ace in Jon Lester. Pivetta and Eflin will be facing off against Jose Quintana and Kyle Hendricks, as they will pitch games one and two for the Cubs.
We will not get to see Cole Hamels pitch in this series, but he should receive a proper homecoming this weekend. Given that Hamels has an 0.69 ERA in six starts since joining the Cubs, that’s probably the best possible scenario for the Phillies.
Teams that make the playoffs win (and sometimes even sweep) series against other playoff-caliber teams. The Phillies aren’t catching the Cubs at an ideal time, but this weekend could allow them to make a statement.
Pitching Matchups
Game 1: Jose Quintana (11-9,4.33 ERA, 4.74 FIP) vs. Nick Pivetta (7-10, 4.76 ERA, 3.61 FIP)
Game 2: Kyle Hendricks (10-10, 3.86 ERA, 4.00 FIP) vs. Zach Eflin (9-5, 3.99 ERA, 3.82 FIP)
Game 3: Jon Lester (14-5, 3.67 ERA, 4.78 FIP) vs. Aaron Nola (15-3, 2.10 ERA, 2.62 FIP)
Where to Watch/Listen
Game 1
TV: MLB Network
Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP
Game 2
TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP
Game 3
TV: TBS
Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP
Series Notes
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