Phillies Host Cubs: Series Preview

Aug 31, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher

(49) stands with his family, Cooper Arrieta (son) and Palmer Arrieta (daughter), Brittany Arrieta is his wife, during a ceremony before the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field. Arrieta pitched a no-hitter the night before in Los Angeles. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

PITCHING MATCHUPS

FRIDAY (1): Jake Arrieta (18-6, 2.03 ERA) vs Adam Morgan (5-5, 4.42 ERA) – Now 29-years old, Arrieta has gone from a perpetually under-achieving Baltimore Orioles pitcher to one of the NL’s best with the Cubs. In fact, you can make a serious argument that has been THE best starting pitcher in the league this season. He has allowed just 132 hits in 191 innings, with a 197/44 K:BB ratio. He leads the NL in both Wins with 18 and shutouts with 2, has a 2.03 ERA, and a tremendous 0.921 WHIP. And he has the cherry-on-top of a no-hitter, tossed just two starts ago. In that August 30th outing at Dodger Stadium, Arrieta struck out a dozen LA Dodgers in that masterpiece. Phillies’ lefty rookie Morgan has been mostly solid as the team evaluates arms to see which might be able to help in the future. Morgan has gone at least 6 innings in 8 of his 13 starts this year, and in 5 of his last half-dozen.

FRIDAY (2): Kyle Hendricks (6-6, 4.08 ERA) vs Alec Asher (0-2, 10.61 ERA) – No, this is not ex-Phil “Kyle Kendrick”, though the name is indeed extremely close. This one is a 25-year old, 2nd year righthander who is proving here early in his career that he can be a reliable mid- or back-end rotation option for Chicago. He has allowed 149 hits in 152.1 innings with a 132/29 K:BB ratio, so he is not likely to beat himself. This will be his 28th start of the season, and he has failed to go at least 5 innings just twice all year, one of those being his very first start in April. He is likely to keep the Cubs in the game, but not to go deep into the game, as he has seen the 7th inning just five times. Asher is a 23-year old righty who came as part of the big package from Texas in the Cole Hamels deal. He will be making his 3rd big league start, and is still looking for his first decent outing. Asher was clubbed for 4 earned runs on 8 hits in 5.2 innings in his first, and then an even worse 7 earned runs on 8 hits in just 3.2 innings last week at Boston.

SATURDAY: Dan Haren (9-9, 3.73 ERA) vs Jerad Eickhoff (1-3, 4.70 ERA) – It would be difficult on one hand to classify the now 34-year old righty Haren as a “journeyman”, since he has been a 3x All-Star and finished among the Cy Young top ten a couple of times in his career. But he has bounced around 8 different organizations. He came over to Chicago in a trade deadline deal on July 31st from the Miami Marlins, to whom he had been traded by the Dodgers back in December. Haren had a poor beginning to his stint with the Cubs over his first 5 starts during the month of August. But when the calendar flipped to September, he tossed a gem, shutting out the Cardinals over 7 strong innings in his most recent start on September 1st. Eickhoff is another arm returned from Texas in that Hamels deal. The 25-year old righty is making his 5th start, and the first four were very solid before he was beaten up at Fenway Park in his most recent outing on just five days ago.

SUNDAY: Cubs TBD vs Aaron Harang (5-15, 5.02 ERA) – The Cubs are pushing Jason Hammel, whose turn comes on Sunday normally, back to throw one of the games of yet another doubleheader that they have coming up next Tuesday during a series at division rivals Pittsburgh. So the Sunday start vs the Phils, perceived to be a weaker opponent because, well, frankly, they are one, will be a fill-in starter. It could come from either of two relievers, Travis Wood or Clayton Richard, each of whom has already made starts for the Cubs. However, it could also go to 34-year old Japanese lefty Tsuyoshi Wada, who was a regular member of the rotation from mid-May through late-June before being sidelined by an injury. He returned to the minors, and then received a call when rosters expanded for September. Wada last pitching one inning on September 4th, so he might be the most logical candidate if Chicago wants to just keep Wood and Richard in their pen. Harang is, well, finishing out the season, much to the dismay of many Phillies fans. He isn’t very good any more, and is in the final three weeks of his one-year Phils’ stint, and possibly his big league career.

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