In what could be his final start as a Phillie, left-handed ace Cole Hamels will take the mound this afternoon at Wrigley Field in opposition of Jake Arrieta and the Chicago Cubs.
Many scouts are expected to be in attendance, including those from the Houston Astros who are currently 'staying on periphery', according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
Source: #Astros scouting Hamels tomorrow at Wrigley. Staying on periphery, knowing that not many teams can offer what #Phillies want.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 25, 2015
A win today would give the Phillies their third consecutive series victory.
Starting Pitching Matchup:
| Philadelphia Phillies (35-63) | Chicago Cubs (51-44) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LHP | Cole Hamels | RHP | Jake Arrieta | ||
| (5-7, 3.91 ERA) | (11-5, 2.52 ERA) | ||||
Hamels, 31, has allowed 14 earned runs on 26 hits and two walks over 13.1 innings pitched spanning three July starts.
The 2008 World Series MVP has not had a winning decision since May 23 against the Washington Nationals, in which the southpaw allowed only one run in eight innings of work. During this losing stretch, Hamels has received a run support average of 3.22, and has allowed an average of 3.33 runs per game.
The Phillies' three-time All-Star ace is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in four career starts at Wrigley Field. Other than the start which occurred in his rookie season, allowing five runs on nine hits in just two innings, the left-hander has allowed only three combined runs in 22.0 innings since.
Arrieta, 29, is 2-1 with a 5.09 ERA in three career starts against the Phillies. Again, similar to Hamels' career at Wrigley Field, after a shaky first appearance follows dominant, back-to-back performances for the Cubs' right hander. In his previous two starts, combining for 13.2 innings, Arrieta has surrendered only one earned run over five hits and four walks.
In the month of July, Arrieta is 4-0 with a 1.17 ERA. Opposing batters have hit .165/.211/.233 against him during this stretch, with only 17 hits in 30.2 innings of work.
Starting Lineups:
| Philadelphia Phillies (35-63) | Chicago Cubs (51-44) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Batter | Bats | Position | Batter | Bats | ||
| 1 | 2B | Cesar Hernandez | S | 1 | CF | Dexter Fowler | S |
| 2 | CF | Odubel Herrera | L | 2 | 3B | Kris Bryant | R |
| 3 | 3B | Maikel Franco | R | 3 | 1B | Anthony Rizzo | L |
| 4 | 1B | Ryan Howard | L | 4 | RF | Jorge Soler | R |
| 5 | C | Carlos Ruiz | R | 5 | LF | Chris Denorfia | R |
| 6 | LF | Cody Asche | L | 6 | SS | Starlin Castro | R |
| 7 | SS | Freddy Galvis | S | 7 | C | David Ross | R |
| 8 | RF | Domonic Brown | L | 8 | P | Jake Arrieta | R |
| 9 | P | Jerome Williams | R | 9 | 2B | Addison Russell | R |
Game Notes:
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Hardball Talk: Cole Hamels’ trade value shouldn’t change based on Saturday’s start, but it might
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Outfielder Jeff Francoeur is 1-6 with one home run and one run-batted-in in his career against the Arrieta. Over his last five games, the 31-year-old outfielder is batting .583 with three home runs and seven runs-batted-in.
- The Phillies have won seven of their last ten games played at Wrigley Field, dating back to July 20, 2011. Overall since the break, they have a major-league best 6-1 record.
Broadcast Information:
- First-pitch: 4:05 pm EST
- TV: CSN
- Radio: 94 WIP, 1210 WPHT, WTTM 1680 (Sp.)
What's Next:
- Sunday, July 26, 2015: at Chicago Cubs, 2:20 pm
- RHP Aaron Nola (0-1, 1.50 ERA) vs. RHP Jason Hammel (5-4, 2.82 ERA)
- TV: CSN; Radio: 94 WIP, 1210 WPHT, WTTM 1680 (Sp.)
Matt Rappa (@mattrappasports) is managing editor of Philliedelphia.com.
