Cubs at Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies will vie for a bit of payback on Wednesday afternoon as they attempt to claim a series victory versus the visiting Chicago Cubs. Philadelphia has won three of its last five on the heels of a season-high seven-game losing skid that began with an emphatic three-game sweep at Wrigley Field on May 27-29.
Maikel Franco ripped an RBI single in Tuesday's 3-2 triumph and has seven hits since going 1-for-9 against Chicago in last month's lopsided series. Odubel Herrera is 6-for-10 with two runs scored in his last three games and is 3-for-7 versus Wednesday starter John Lackey. Chicago's Ben Zobrist is mired in a funk of late, following a red-hot 16-game hitting streak with an ice-cold 0-for-16 stretch over the last six contests. The 35-year-old looks for a repeat performance versus Wednesday starter Vince Velasquez, against whom he belted a three-run homer in Chicago's 7-2 victory over Philadelphia on May 29.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, CSN Chicago, CSN Philadelphia
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH John Lackey (6-2, 2.88 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Vince Velasquez (5-2, 3.67)
Lackey won his second straight start in scintillating fashion on Friday, scattering five hits - all singles - and striking out nine in 6 2/3 innings of a 6-0 rout of Arizona. The 37-year-old handcuffed Philadelphia on May 29 by allowing just one run on four hits in seven frames to improve to 4-4 versus the club. Ryan Howard homered on Tuesday in his first start since May 31 and has gone deep on two occasions as part of his 3-for-16 career performance versus Lackey.
Velasquez recorded yet another early exit on Friday as the 24-year-old tossed just 94 pitches en route to departing after 4 1/3 innings. Velasquez was blitzed for a season-high seven runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 frames versus the Cubs on May 29. The hurler has failed to pitch more than six innings since scattering three hits in a shutout versus San Diego on April 19.
WALK-OFFS
1. Chicago placed OF Jorge Soler (hamstring) on the 15-day disabled list and recalled OF prospect Albert Almora from Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday.
2. Phillies SS Freddy Galvis is 6-for-20 (.300) with one homer, three RBIs and as many runs scored in five games versus the Cubs this season.
3. Philadelphia owns a majors-best 15-5 mark in one-game games while Chicago is just 7-8.