Series Preview - Cubs at Phillies: June 6th to June 8th

Monday and Tuesday 7:05, Wednesday 1:05
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA

Cubs 39-16, 1st place in the N.L. Central, 9 1/2 games ahead of the Pirates
Phillies 28-29, 4th place in the N.L. East, 6 games behind the Nationals

Cubs Probables:  Jon Lester (6-3, 2.29), Kyle Hendricks (4-4, 2.84), John Lackey (6-2, 2.88)
Phillies Probables:  Adam Morgan (1-4, 7.07), Jared Eickhoff (2-8, 3.93), Vince Velasquez (5-2, 3.67)

At the Ballpark:  After the groovy '70s weekend, there are no giveaways scheduled for the Cubs series although there are some theme nights requiring special tickets.

Cubs Leaders
Average:  Ben Zobrist - .326
Runs:  Kris Bryant - 40
Home Runs:  Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo - 13
RBIs:  Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo - 40
Stolen Bases:  Jason Heyward - 7

Wins:  Jake Arrieta - 9
ERA:  Jake Arrieta - 1.80
Strikeouts:  Jake Arrieta - 87
Saves:  Hector Rondon - 10

Phillies Leaders
Average:  Odubel Herrera - .317
Runs:  Odubel Herrera - 32
Home Runs:  Maikel Franco - 10
RBIs:  Maikel Franco - 31
Stolen Bases:  Odubel Herrera - 7

Wins:  Aaron Nola and Vince Velasquez - 5
ERA:  Aaron Nola - 2.65
Strikeouts:  Aaron Nola - 85
Saves:  Jeanmar Gomez - 18

1970 Topps #240

1970 Topps Appreciation:  For the Cubs-Phillies series in Chicago, I took a look at some of the baseball cards of players involved in the November 1969 trade that sent long-time Phillie Johnny Callison out of town.

For today's series preview post, the 1970 Topps card of Fergie Jenkins is featured.  The future Hall of Famer played eight games for the Phillies before being traded to the Cubs in April 1966.  Jenkins was sent with John Herrnstein and Adolfo Phillips to the Cubs in exchange for Bob Buhl and Larry Jackson.  In 1970, Jenkins won 20 games or more for the fifth season in a row and he led the league with 24 complete games.

By comparison, Buhl was released by the Phillies in May 1967 and in 35 games with the Phils he went 6-8 with a 4.93 ERA.  Jackson lasted a season longer than Buhl, and in 109 games with the Phils over three seasons he went 41-45 with a respectable 2.95 ERA.  He was left unprotected in the 1968 expansion draft and chosen by the Expos, although he'd never play for them.