Phillies Series Preview: Chicago Cubs

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May 25, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Chicago Cubs manager Maddon pays a visit to the mound to speak with relief pitcher Rondon (56) during the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. The Cubs won the game 9-8. Mandatory Credit: Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports /

The Philadelphia Phillies host the Chicago Cubs this week in a three game series at Citizens Bank Park in South Philly.

The Chicago Cubs are really, really good. The Phillies are not. While that sounds simplistic, it really is nothing more than simple truth, a basic truth that will make it difficult for the home side to win even one game this week.

These two teams met just a week and a half ago, and the Cubbies swept the Phils out of Wrigley Field by a combined score of 17-5 over a three game series.

Those losses started the Phillies off on a seven game losing skid that has dropped the team below the .500 mark.

Meanwhile, the Cubs are already an incredible 23 games over that mark. Their 39-17 record is the best in all of baseball, and they lead the NL Central by 9.5 games over a very good Pittsburgh Pirates squad.

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As you can imagine with their win-loss record, the North Siders have a wide range of offensive weapons. 35-year old Ben Zobrist is the veteran at 2nd base, and he is hitting for a .326/.438/.500 slash line with seven homers, 35 RBI, and 39 runs scored.

Center fielder Dexter Fowler adds speed to the mix. the 30-year old is hitting .303/.421/.515 with seven homers, 25 RBI, 36 runs scored, and a half-dozen steals.

Right fielder Jayson Heyward is one of the finest defensive outfielders in the game. Though his overall offensive game has been a bit disappointing, the big-ticket free agent signee does lead the club with seven stolen bases.

The big boppers are 1st baseman Anthony Rizzo and 3rd baseman Kris Bryant, each with 13 home runs and 40 RBI on the season to lead the team. Bryant, the 2015 NL Rookie of the Year, also leads the club with 40 runs scored.

With all of the acclaimed talent in their lineup, the Cubs also have a nice bench piece with a local flavor. 26-year old outfielder Matt Szczur is from Cape May, NJ and was taken by the Cubs out of Villanova in the 5th round of the 2010 MLB Amateur Draft.

Szczur is a legit talent, hitting for a .347/.396/.531 slash line with two homers and 12 RBI over just 53 plate appearances.

When going to his bullpen, veteran manager Joe Maddon will call upon righty Hector Rondon to close things out. The 28-year old has allowed just nine hits over 18.1 innings with an unthinkable 27/2 K:BB ratio.

He is set up by a fine cast of veterans in righties Trevor Cahill, Pedro Strop, Justin Grimm, and Adam Warren, and left-handers Travis Wood and Clayton Richard, all of whom have previous starting pitching experience.

Next: Phillies-Cubs: Pitching Matchups

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