Cubs at Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies spent Tuesday and Wednesday rediscovering their offense out in the desert air of Arizona. They are hoping the bats can stay hot when they return to the East Coast. The Chicago Cubs are coming off their first series win but have had nearly as much trouble scoring as the Phillies. The Cubs have not topped three runs in any of their last four games. Philadelphia, which was held to five runs or less in eight straight games, has totaled 15 in its last two.
The Phillies took five of seven from Chicago last season but are only just beginning to find the form that led them to the NL East crown in 2011. Chase Utley and Ryan Howard are still out but Hunter Pence has come out of a slump with four RBIs in the last two games and Juan Pierre has provided a boost from the leadoff spot. The Cubs have gotten production from Bryan LaHair and Starlin Castro but the rest of the lineup has been slower to come around.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, CSN (Chicago), CSN (Philadelphia)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs LH Paul Maholm (1-2, 8.36 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Roy Halladay (3-1, 1.50 ERA)
Maholm was knocked around for 12 runs in eight innings over his first two starts but posted his first win last weekend, limiting the Cincinnati Reds to one run over six innings. The veteran left-hander is 3-2 with a 4.50 ERA in seven career starts against Philadelphia. Pence is 14-for-44 (.318) with a pair of home runs off Maholm.
Halladay has been his usual dominant self, surrendering two runs or less in each of his first four starts. Poor run support kept him from a win at San Diego last Saturday, when he uncharacteristically issued four walks. Halladay has struggled against the Cubs, going 1-4 with a 3.72 ERA in five career starts. Castro is 5-for-9 against the former Cy Young winner.
WALK-OFFS:
1. Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins hit .091 (3-for-33) on the road trip that ended Wednesday.
2. LaHair leads the Cubs with four homers. No one else has more than one.
3. Chicago is using a rotation in center field, with Tony Campana and Reed Johnson splitting time.