The Cubs (80-76) took three of four from the Nationals this weekend but they were officially eliminated from postseason contention Saturday night. That eventuality had become clear a couple weeks ago after Craig Counsell‘s squad was never able to completely recover from a deep slump in May and June. They begin the final week of the 2024 season against one of the best teams in baseball, the Phillies, starting Monday.
Philadelphia (92-64) is on the verge of clinching the National League East and sits one game behind the Dodgers for the best record in the league and a first-round bye in the playoffs. Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber are having big years with a combined 65 home runs and the overall .749 team OPS of is the fourth-highest in MLB.
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The Phillies pitching staff is also in the top 10 in baseball, with a 3.77 team ERA that ranks eighth and just barely ahead of the Cubs (3.79). The top four in the rotation has been excellent, although Chicago won’t see Zack Wheeler, who has been the ace in 2024. The bullpen has not been perfect, with Josê Alvarado losing the closer’s job to Jeff Hoffman after he struggled mightily for a stretch.
Chicago has nothing to play for unless having a winning record is something you consider valuable. In that case, they need two more victories to stay above the .500 mark. Otherwise, it’s time to start looking ahead to 2025 and hopefully a better outcome next September.
Game Time and Broadcast Info
- Monday, September 23 at 5:40pm CT on Marquee.
- Tuesday, September 24 at 5:40pm CT on Marquee.
- Wednesday, September 25 at 5:05pm CT on Marquee.
Starting Pitchers
| Date | Pitcher | Age | T | ERA | W/L | FIP | K/BB |
| 9/23 | Nate Pearson | 28 | R | 4.71 | 2-2 | 4.21 | 6.67 |
| Aaron Nola | 31 | R | 3.54 | 12-8 | 4.04 | 3.81 | |
| 9/24 | Justin Steele | 29 | L | 3.03 | 5-5 | 3.18 | 3.57 |
| TBA | |||||||
| 9/25 | Javier Assad | 27 | R | 3.34 | 7-5 | 4.39 | 2.02 |
| Cristopher Sánchez | 27 | L | 3.25 | 11-9 | 2.95 | 3.47 |
What to Watch For
- The Cubs are going with a bullpen game on Monday night after Jordan Wicks went back on the IL.
- Dansby Swanson has eight hits in his last five games.
- Steele appears to be healthy as he makes his final start of 2024.
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The post Chicago Cubs @ Philadelphia Phillies – Series Preview (September 23-25): Overview, Game and Broadcast Info, Starting Pitchers, W2W4 appeared first on Cubs Insider.