By Brandon Apter, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Chicago, IL - Following a homestand that saw them go 5-4 against the Rockies, Dodgers and Cardinals, the Philadelphia Phillies hit the road for a short five-game trip beginning in Chicago for a brief two-game series against the White Sox. The Phillies and White Sox are both are 8-8 in Interleague play this season and this will be the first series between the two teams in the South Side of Chicago since 2004.
Philadelphia will look to rebound after a rough series defeat at the hands of the Cardinals, a stretch of three games in which they were outscored 15-5. Meanwhile, the White Sox are coming off of a weekend series victory over the Athletics after dropping two out of three to the Indians earlier in the week.
The series opener tonight will feature rookie right-hander Jake Thompson for the Phillies. He'll be opposed by White Sox southpaw Carlos Rodon.
Starting Pitching Matchup:
| Philadelphia Phillies (58-67) | Chicago White Sox (59-64) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RHP | Jake Thompson | LHP | Carlos Rodon | ||
| (1-2, 8.79 ERA) | (3-8, 4.26 ERA) | ||||
Jake Thompson's arrival in the big leagues has been long awaited by Phillies fans this season, especially once the other young starters began to struggle. The injury to Zach Eflin opened the door for Thompson, who has struggled in two of his three starts to start off his Major League career. After surrendering six runs in 4.1 innings against San Diego in his debut, Thompson put together a strong outing against Colorado on August 12, tossing five innings and giving up three runs while striking out six. The Dodgers got the best of him in his last outing, with five runs allowed in five innings of work. Thompson's struggle has been command in the lower half of the strike zone. When he misses, he misses up and over the plate, which Major League hitters feast on after a few pitches.
Second-year left-hander Carlos Rodon will take the hill for Chicago, looking to build on a strong trio of starts this month. He hasn't allowed more than two runs in each of his three starts in August, allowing just four runs in 18 innings, good for an ERA of 2.00 in that span. He spent some time on the disabled list due to a sprained wrist, causing him to miss a few starts in July, but he's returned and really solidified his spot in the rotation with his strong string of outings. Jimmy Parades is the only Phillie that has seen Rodon. He's 1-for-3.
Starting Lineups:
| Philadelphia Phillies (58-67) | Chicago White Sox (59-64) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Player | Bats | Position | Player | Bats | ||
| 1 | RF | Peter Bourjos | R | 1 | CF | Adam Eaton | L |
| 2 | CF | Aaron Altherr | R | 2 | SS | Tim Anderson | R |
| 3 | 3B | Maikel Franco | R | 3 | LF | Melky Cabrera | S |
| 4 | 1B | Tommy Joseph | R | 4 | 1B | Jose Abreu | R |
| 5 | C | Cameron Rupp | R | 5 | DH | Justin Morneau | L |
| 6 | DH | Carlos Ruiz | R | 6 | 3B | Todd Frazier | R |
| 7 | SS | Freddy Galvis | S | 7 | C | Omar Narvaez | L |
| 8 | LF | Tyler Goeddel | R | 8 | RF | Avisail Garcia | R |
| 9 | 2B | Emmanuel Burriss | S | 9 | 2B | Carlos Sanchez | S |
Broadcast Information:
- First pitch: 8:10 p.m.
- TV: CSN
- Radio: 94 WIP
Game Notes:
- The Phillies had hit home runs in 14 straight games, but that streak was snapped on Sunday in their 9-0 loss to the Cardinals.
- Carlos Rodon is 12-8 with a 2.54 ERA in his career when he pitches at least six innings. He's 2-2 with a 5.96 ERA in Interleague play during his two-year career.
- Philadelphia has lost four of their last six games, a stretch in which they've been outscored 41-19. They are hoping to avoid a third consecutive season as the worst team in the National League East.
- Jake Thompson has nine walks and 11 strikeouts in his first three big league starts, so command will be integral to his success tonight in Chicago. He was 11-5 with a 2.50 ERA in 21 starts for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
- Cesar Hernandez is hitting .324 with three doubles, two triples, two homers, 15 runs scored, four RBIs and nine walks in 68 at-bats during the month of August. Emmanuel Burriss starts at second tonight, though.
What's Next:
- Wednesday, August 24th, 2016: at Chicago White Sox, 8:10 p.m.
- Chicago, IL – U.S. Cellular Field
- RHP Jerad Eickhoff (8-12, 3.91 ERA) vs. RHP James Shields (3-8, 7.62 ERA)
- TV: CSN, MLB Network; Radio: 94 WIP
