The Cubs take their five-game winning streak across Pennsylvania to face the Phillies this weekend. They will find a team favored to do well struggling at 4-6, and a pretty good chance of showers and thunderstorms tonight.
This game should be Jason Marquis' turn in the rotation, but he is suffering from either the flu or strep, depending on which report you believe. So instead, Carlos Zambrano will throw tonight, and Marquis will go on Sunday (if healthy, otherwise Sean Marshall will get the Sunday start).
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Z has thrown very well in his first two starts -- a far cry from 2007. Let's hope that continues. He didn't face the Phillies at all in 2007; his last game against them was an 11-2 Cub win on August 24, 2006. Jimmy Rollins may not play tonight -- it'd be fine if he did, because he's only 3-for-17 lifetime vs. Z. The only other Phillie who has more than 14 lifetime AB vs. Z is Geoff Jenkins, who faced him often when he was a Brewer, with middling results (13-for-47, 1 HR).
Brett Myers has switched back to starting this year after being the Phillies' closer most of 2007. Derrek Lee is 10-for 22 (.455/.520/1.000, 10-for-22, 4 doubles, 2 HR) vs. Myers, who hasn't pitched well in either of his two starts so far this year.
Today's game is on CSN Chicago and CN8 in Philly (whatever that is), on the usual radio stations (there's a Spanish-language XM broadcast, too) and at the MLB.com Mediacenter.
MLB.com Gameday (2007 version)
MLB.com Gameday (2008 version)
Baseball-reference.com game preview
For the Phillies fan perspective, please visit our SBN Phillies site, The Good Phight.
Discuss amongst yourselves.