Cubs, Phillies skidding into each other for 3-game series

The Chicago Cubs are coming off a disappointing weekend, but they won’t be getting any sympathy cards from the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Cubs and Phillies are both hungry for a win when they match up Monday evening in Philadelphia.

Chicago is coming off a lethargic series against the Detroit Tigers in which it lost two of three games while scoring one run in Friday’s loss and zero in Sunday’s defeat. The Cubs went 4-for-30 on Sunday, including two hits from Dansby Swanson, and struck out 12 times as a team.

“The expectations are just playing good baseball, doing our jobs the right way and continuing to do that on a daily basis,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “Those are the expectations.”

Meanwhile, Philadelphia has lost five straight and nine of its last 10 games after coming off a tight sweep to the host Pittsburgh Pirates. The Phillies lost all three runs by one game, including a 2-1 defeat Sunday in which the team managed only three hits.

The Phillies continued to play without star first baseman Bryce Harper (right wrist inflammation), who landed on the 10-day injured list over the weekend. But is it time for a lineup change?

“We’ll see, you know?” Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson said. “I’ve been thinking about some different things. We’ll see what happens.”

In addition to a bevy of one-run defeats, the Phillies have also suffered losses by margins of 9-3, 17-7 and 9-1 during their last 10 games.

“The easiest thing is to say it’s a long season, and things like that,” second baseman Bryson Stott said. “But we know we’re better than what we’ve been playing like, and we need to start doing that.

The Phillies will look to regroup behind ace Zack Wheeler (6-2, 2.96 ERA), who has not pitched since May 29 due to his regular rest, followed by a stint on the paternity list. His last outing was an ugly one, as the veteran right-hander allowed six runs in 5 1/3 innings in a 9-3 home defeat versus Atlanta.

“I lost my control a little bit,” Wheeler said after the game. “That’s kind of what I was upset about tonight. I wasn’t as sharp as I needed to be out there. The first few innings were good, and then they got a couple hits. It just kind of snowballed on me quick, so I gotta move on.”

Wheeler is 2-2 with a 3.59 ERA in 52 2/3 innings in nine lifetime starts against Chicago.

The Cubs will turn to Matthew Boyd (5-3, 3.01), who is coming off a pair of strong outings. He has allowed just two earned runs in 13 1/3 innings over that stretch, including a crisp effort on Wednesday against the host Washington Nationals. He yielded two runs in a season-high 7 1/3 innings in that one, which Chicago lost 2-0.

“It’s just knowing what I expect of myself when I go out there,” Boyd said, “and it’s just — go attack and compete each time the ball is in my hand. Situationally that might change, but in terms of just overarching, you know, I think that’s really as simple as it sounds.”

Boyd has made one career start against the Phillies while with the Detroit Tigers, allowing two runs in six innings but getting a no-decision in July 2019.

The teams met in late April in Chicago, where the Phillies dropped the opener before winning the final two contests.

–Field Level Media