A pair of National League teams open up their post All-Star break slates with a series on the diamond in the City of Brotherly Love. The Chicago Cubs are on the road as they open up a three-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies Friday night. Chicago salvaged the finale of a four-game set at home with the Mets as they earned a 3-2 win Sunday in their final game before the All-Star break. Philadelphia swept the Marlins on the road in their final series before the All-Star break, winning 4-0 Sunday in the series finale. Last season, the Phillies owned a 5-2 series victory, including taking two of three at home in the most recent set September 14-16, 2021.
Chicago snapped a nine-game losing skid as they picked up the win in the finale of their four-game set with the Mets at home Sunday. The Cubs entered Friday fourth in the NL Central, 14.5 games behind the Brewers for the top spot in the division race. On Sunday, Chicago got three of their seven hits from Nico Hoerner (RBI), including the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning. Ian Happ and Patrick Wisdom each drove in runs as well for the Cubs in the contest. Adrian Sampson didn’t factor in the decision as he allowed two runs on six hits with three walks and one strikeout over 5.1 innings of work. Rowan Wick (2-5) earned the win with a scoreless eighth despite allowing two hits while David Robertson worked around a hit in the ninth to record his 13th save of the year.
Justin Steele is on the mound for the Cubs as he makes his 18th start of the season in this contest. He comes in 3-6 with a 4.15 ERA, a 1.409 WHIP, 37 walks and 79 strikeouts over 82.1 innings of work on the year. Steele took the loss in his last start, which came July 13 at home against the Orioles. He threw six innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits with one walk and three strikeouts in a game the Cubs lost by a 7-1 score. In his last three starts, Steele is 1-1 with a 2.55 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, eight walks and 18 strikeouts over 17.2 innings of work. Steele, in his 38th career major league appearance and 27th start, pitches against the Phillies for the first time here. As a result, this marks his first career major league outing at Citizens Bank Park.