PHILADELPHIA -- The Chicago Cubs kick off a grueling
stretch in Tuesday's opener of a three-game set with the
Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
Following an off-day Monday, Chicago begins a stretch of 16
games in 16 days and 34 in 35 days. Fortunately for the Cubs,
they open the tough period with workhorse Carlos Zambrano (7-4,
3.43 ERA), who has tossed at least seven innings in six straight
starts and 12 of his last 16.
Zambrano has not lost in six starts, going 3-0 with a 1.75 ERA
in that span. The Venezuelan righthander, who has lost just
once since May 26, owns a 1-2 lifetime record with a 3.67 in
four outings against Philadelphia.
The Phillies counter with Vicente Padilla (5-9, 5.45), who
showed improvement in July. After opening the season with a 3-8
record, Padilla has gone 2-1 with a 2.16 ERA over his last four
starts. He took the loss Wednesday at Houston despite yielding
three runs in six innings.
Padilla is 3-3 with a 4.79 ERA in his career against the Cubs.
He also owns a 7-5 record and a 3.50 ERA in August - his best
mark in any month.
Philadelphia is coming off an inconsistent road trip in which it
lost all three games in Houston and won the first three
contests in Colorado before dropping the series finale, 9-2.
The Cubs concluded July by dropping three of four home games to
Arizona. Chicago received a boost to its struggling outfield
Sunday, acquiring two-time All-Star Matt Lawton from Pittsburgh
for outfielder Jody Gerut.