Preview: Phillies return to Citizens Bank Park, Cubs come to town for a 3-game set

The Philadelphia Phillies look to right the ship back at Citizens Bank Park tonight vs. the Chicago Cubs at 7:05 EST.

Starting Pitchers

Marcus Stroman (2-4, 3.24 ERA)
Ranger Suarez (0-0, 6.75 ERA)

The Fightins have now lost four in a row and are still owned by the state of California, as they’ve fallen in their last seven games out in Cali dating back to Game 2 of last year’s NLCS vs. the Padres.

The Giants series was just all-around ugly, as a mix of pitching, defense, and offense all held the team back. The lineup is 2 for their last 40 with runners in scoring position, Taijuan Walker didn’t make it out of the first inning, and normal routine pop-ups were dropped left and right.

When stuff like that happens, you can’t expect to win.

The Phillies are sleepwalking through the beginning of the season, which is something they’ve been very good at in the past. Now three games under .500 and seven games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East, the team needs to find some sort of consistency during their 6-game homestand.

When is it time to panic about the runners-in-scoring position issue? The team has been abysmal in big moments at the plate, and while that comes with time, it’s frustrating to watch them throw away key chances to win ballgames.

The Cubs come into town with a 19-24 record on the season with an 8-13 record away from Wrigley Field. The team is being led by Patrick Wisdom at the plate, who currently holds 12 homers and 23 RBIs on the year. Ian Happ is hitting .303 on the year, while Dansby Swanson has cooled off since a hot start to the season.

Phillies Starting Lineup

Lining up back home. #RingTheBell

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Marcus Stroman vs. Ranger Suarez

Phillies lefty Ranger Suarez makes his 2023 CBP debut tonight coming off a not-so-bad first start. Suarez went four innings in Colorado allowing seven hits and three earned runs while striking out four.

Suarez tallied a 3.65 ERA last season with a 10-7 record in 29 starts. He held a 4.27 home ERA in 13 starts with a 4-4 record and 52 Ks.

Marcus Stroman is coming off a brutal start in Minnesota, allowing seven hits and six earned runs in just two and two-thirds innings of work. Stroman has been pretty great for Chicago this year, holding a 2-4 record with a 3.24 ERA and 47 Ks.