Game One Hundred Forty-One: Cubs (82-58) vs. Phillies (54-88)
- Game Time – 6:05pm CDT
- Coverage – TV: Comcast SportsNet – Radio: WBBM 780, Cubs Radio Network, XM Radio Channels 188, 844
- Location – Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
Travis Wood (5-4, 4.34/1.35/3.76) vs. Jerad Eickhoff (1-3, 4.70/1.26/4.23)
Weather permitting … Joe Maddon shifted his pitching plans for tonight’s game around two hours before the scheduled first pitch. Due to weather concerns, the Cubs pushed Dan Haren to Sunday’s finale and will go with the bullpen day instead as the Cubs look for their third victory in 24 hours. The Cubs do not want to waste Dan Haren if the game begins on time and there is a long rain delay. With a scheduled bullpen day for Sunday, the Cubs changed their plans.
Travis Wood will take the ball and make his first start since May 14. The Cubs would like to get at least two innings out of Wood, which would be his longest outing since July 28. Wood pitched Friday night. It is hard to see how he would have much more than three innings today. After Wood, Maddon will likely play matchups as the game progresses
Based on Jerad Eickhoff’s splits, it is hard to see how Maddon will have a single right-handed bat in his starting lineup tonight outside of Kris Bryant. Maddon has been looking for a day to give Addison Russell a break, and he could have been looking ahead to this match-up. Left handers have put together a .371/.410/.692 slash line with a 1.064 OPS in four games (Red Sox, Mets, Marlins) against Jerad Eickhoff in the majors while right handers have batted .185/.228/.228 against him.
Tonight all starts with Travis Wood …
Travis Wood pitched the eighth inning of the nightcap Friday. Wood retired all three batters he faced in his best outing since Aug. 26. Wood is 0-1 in his last 21 appearances with a 4.21 ERA and 1.52 WHIP. Wood has faced the Phillies three times this season. In 3 1/3 innings, Wood has allowed two runs on three hits with a walk and four strikeouts.
For his career, Travis Wood is 1-1 in eight games, five starts, versus the Phillies with a 2.31 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. At Citizens Bank Park, Wood is 1-0 in five games, four starts, with a 1.48 ERA and 0.76 WHIP.
Phillies Career Numbers against Travis Wood
- Ryan Howard: 2-for-13
- Carlos Ruiz: 3-for-8 with two doubles and four walks
- Jeff Francoeur: 0-for-5 with one walk
- Cody Asche: 0-for-4
- Brian Bogusevic: 0-for-3
- Cesar Hernandez: 1-for-3
- Odubel Herrera: 0-for-3
- Erik Kratz: 0-for-3
- Darin Ruf: 0-for-3
- Aaron Altherr: 0-for-1
- Freddy Galvis: 1-for-1
- Cameron Rupp: 0-for-1
The Cubs get their first look at Jerad Eickhoff. The Phillies acquired the 25-year old right hander from Texas along with Jorge Alfaro, Jake Thompson, Nick Williams, Alec Asher and Matt Harrison for Cole Hamels.
Eickhoff is making the fifth start of his big league career tonight. Eickhoff was 9-4 in 18 games, 17 starts, for Triple-A Round Rock in the Texas system prior to the trade. Eickhoff allowed 95 hits with 33 walks and 93 strikeouts in 101 2/3 innings. In three appearances with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Eickhoff posted a 2-1 record with a 2.49 ERA and 0.92 WHIP (17 hits, three walks and 19 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings).
Eickhoff had a rough time in Boston. Eickhoff allowed six runs on eight hits with two walks and a strikeout in four innings his last time out. Eickhoff has given up his fair share of hits and runs since shutting out the Marlins in his big league debut on Aug. 21. Eickhoff makes his second start at Citizens Bank tonight.
Jerad Eickhoff has not faced anyone on Joe Maddon’s active roster during a regular season game in the big leagues.
Let’s Talk Cubs Baseball …