Philadelphia Phillies at Chicago Cubs
The Phillies and Cubs conclude their four-game series at Wrigley Park under the Sunday night-lights on ESPN.
Booster shot
It’s becoming obvious that the Phillies’ starting pitching may need a boost before the non-waiver trade deadline arrives in two weeks.
Surprisingly, the starting pitching opened the second half better than they have in three years. The rotation had a 3.95 ERA and opponents were hitting .259 against them at the All-Star break.
A quick look at the same numbers from the previous three seasons show a 4.99 ERA and .277 average in 2007; 4.48 and .269 in 2008; and 4.98 and .283 in 2009 - when the Phillies won the National League East.
But there is major concern that 47-year-old lefthander Jamie Moyer has allowed 13 earned runs on 12 hits in 8 1/3 innings for a 14.05 ERA in his last two starts. He now stands at 9-9 and his ERA is 4.88 on the season.
Retread Joe Blanton doesn’t inspire. He’s 3-5 with a 6.21 ERA this season.
If GM Ruben Amaro Jr. is unsuccessful hitting the speed dial in hopes of fueling a trade to improve the rotation, don’t be surprised if middle reliever Chad Durbin, recently reactivated after spending three weeks on the DL with a right hamstring injury, settles into the starting rotation.
In addition, lefthander Antonio Bastardo was recently activated from the DL and optioned to Lehigh Valley. He also becomes a viable option.
"I would rather be fresh than tired going into the second half," Durbin said. "We're definitely fresher mentally."
Welcome back
The cleanup hitters from both squads, Ryan Howard of the Phillies and Aramis Ramirez of the Cubs, have been mired in disappointing seasons – until most recently.
Howard, the 125-million dollar man, was hitting .280 with a meager .788 OPS on June 4.
In one month's worth of games, from June 15 to July 15, Howard has hit .327 with a 1.062 OPS. He has nine home runs, three triples and four doubles during that time, and has scored 21 runs to go with 26 RBIs.
In Friday's game against the Cubs, Howard added another home run, his 20th of the season, and his batting average is now up to .298.
Howard’s $17 million counterpart, Ramirez, is finally heating up too after having been stuck in a slump most of the season.
Ramirez hit a solo homer with two outs in the bottom of the eighth Friday, sending the Cubs to a 4-3 comeback win over Philadelphia.
"Yeah I feel pretty good at the plate. Even when I make an out, I've been able to hit the ball hard," Ramirez said. "That's a good sign."
It was his fifth homer and 14th RBIs in the last eight games. He had three hits to raise his batting average to .220.
"He's staying on the ball well. He's taking good swings at pitches and he's driving the ball. It's a big difference from the first half. One of the ingredients that was missing here obviously," Chicago manager Lou Piniella said. "And now it's back."
Don’t count us out
Piniella's Cubs have always been a second-half team. The numbers from his first three seasons verify it.
But Piniella's Cubs have never been this far underwater to start a second half, and it seems as if only a tidal wave can bring them back to the surface.
Not according to Piniella, though.
"Nine games is not insurmountable. I look forward to the challenge, but we've got to get it done on the field. We need to play better baseball than we did the first half. Are we capable? Yes. And I'm hopeful that we will."
In his first three seasons with Chicago, Piniella has used the second half to make a difference, winning 40 or more games each campaign.
They were 41-34 in his first season after the 2007 All-Star break, then 40-26 in their dominating 2008 season. Even last season, when the Cubs fell short of their division-championship goal, they were 40-35 in the second half.
Winning 40 games in the second half would give the 2010 Cubs 79 victories, a moral comeback if nothing else.
According to Piniella, there's one simple key to getting back on track, and that's more consistency from day to day.
"That's what we need: consistency," Piniella said. "When we swung the bats and put runs on the board, we won our share of ballgames. When we don't, we haven't had success."
Here’s the pitch
Philadelphia ace Roy Halladay matches serves with Chicago southpaw stopgap Tom Gorzelanny this evening in an apparent pitching mismatch.
Halladay is 3-1 in his last four starts with a 1.39 ERA. He’s pitched well in two career starts against the Cubs, both losses, posting a 3.00 ERA.
The veteran All-Star has struggled of late during the month of July, going 2-8 in his last 10-team starts.
Gorzelanny is 1-6 in his last seven team starts, sporting a 5.66 ERA in the process.
The lefthander has split his two career starts against the Phillies, with a 3.88 ERA.