Since the Cubs took two of three from the Phillies last week in Philadelphia, the Cubs swept the Mets and outscored them 18-7, and the Phillies got swept at home by the Braves, outscored 16-3. The Phillies’ flight to Chicago got in after 1 a.m. today after their loss to the Braves Sunday night. So you can imagine the mood the Phillies will be in starting tonight for this four-game series at Wrigley Field.
You can read more about the Phillies in last week’s series preview, and also please visit our
SB Nation Phillies site The Good Phight.
Fun facts
The four games this week vs. the Phillies will wrap up the seven-game season series between the teams. April 22 will be the second-earliest date on which they have finished playing each other. In 2001, they met at Philadelphia for three games on Apr 6-8, then played three at Wrigley Field on April 17-18, with a doubleheader the second day.
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This is the Cubs’ first four-game series against the Phillies since 2021, when they lost three of four at home. It is the first of four six-game series that the Cubs will play this season. Only one other will be against a team not in the Central Division, at New York vs. the Mets on June 22-25.
The Cubs will host the Reds for four games on May 4-7 and the Brewers on Aug. 31-Sept. 3. They will play four at Pittsburgh on May 25-28 and at St. Louis on July 27-30.
The Cubs will play 52 three-game series. Last year, they played four series of four games, of which they won one series. lost one and split two. They won a five-game series required due to a rainout.
(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
Probable pitching matchups
Monday: Colin Rea, RHP (2-0, 3.63 ERA, 0.981 WHIP, 3.59 FIP) vs. Aaron Nola, RHP (1-1, 4.03 ERA, 1.299 WHIP, 3.53 FIP)
Tuesday: Shōta Imanaga, LHP (1-1, 2.45 ERA, 0.773 WHIP, 2.17 FIP) vs. Jesús Luzardo, LHP (1-3, 7.94 ERA, 1.456 WHIP, 2.86 FIP)
Wednesday: Matthew Boyd, LHP (1-1, 6.75 ERA, 1.179 WHIP, 1.84 FIP) vs. TBD
Thursday: Edward Cabrera, RHP (2-0, 2.38 ERA, 1.279 WHIP, 3.08 FIP) vs. Cristopher Sánchez, LHP (2-2, 1.59 ERA, 1.412 WHIP, 1.68 FIP)
NOTE: If the Phillies stay on rotation, it’s Taijuan Walker’s turn on Wednesday, but he’s been hit really hard (9.16 ERA, six HR in 18.2 innings) so they might choose to go with someone else.
Times & TV channels
Monday: 6:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Tuesday: 6:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Wednesday: 6:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Thursday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, MLB Network (outside the Cubs and Phillies market territories)
Prediction
The Cubs are hot and the Phillies… are definitely not. Not only have the Phillies lost five in a row, they have dropped 10 of their last 13. The Cubs took two of three in Philly last week and so I’m going to call for them to stay hot and take three of four here.
Up next
The Cubs begin their first West Coast trip of 2026 in Los Angeles. They’ll play a three-game series against the Dodgers there beginning Friday evening.
