Preview: Phillies look to bounce back after an ugly loss on Friday night; Zack Wheeler on the mound at 6:05 EST
The Phillies take the field at Citizens Bank Park tonight at 6:05 EST, looking to get back in the win column after an ugly loss last night. Zack Wheeler (8-5, 2.89 ERA) gets the ball for the Phils, going up against Marcus Stroman (2-5, 4.69 ERA) for Chicago.
Last night’s loss was one of the ugliest of the season. After taking the lead in the 1st inning thanks to Kyle Schwarber’s 30th bomb of the year, the Cubs went on to score 15 straight runs, roughing up Phillies pitching all night. Kyle Gibson allowed 6 earned runs, Jeurys Familia allowed one, JoJo Romero allowed three, and Garrett Stubbs allowed five in the 9th inning.
The only true positive from last night’s game was Darick Hall’s absolute tank shot to centerfield in the 9th inning.
The team will look to bounce back with their ace on the mound, as Zack Wheeler will make his first post-all-star break start. Heading into tonight’s game, the Phillies sit at 49-44 on the year, 5 games above .500, and still hold the last Wild Card spot after the Cardinals fell to the Reds last night by a score of 9-5.
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Zack Wheeler vs Marcus Stroman
Zack Wheeler makes his 10th home start of the year, holding a 5-2 record at CBP with a 1.62 ERA. He’s 8-5 total on the year, with a 2.89 ERA and 108 Ks, while holding a 1.08 WHIP. Marcus Stroman makes his 7th away of the start of the year, looking to have another good outing away from Wrigley, holding just a 2.45 ERA on the road with 25 Ks.
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Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
| Team | Spread | Money Line | Total |
| Cubs | +1.5 (-138) | +146 | O8 (-108) |
| Phillies | -1.5 (+115) | -174 | U8 (-112) |
Prediction
Marcus Stroman has pitched well against the Phillies throughout his career (4-4, 2.62), but I still think the Phils come away with the win tonight. Take the -1.5.
More Phillies
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