Phillies at Cubs: July 15th through July 18th

Thursday 8:05, Friday 2:20, Saturday 1:05, Sunday 8:05

Records: Phillies 47-40, 3rd Place in the NL East (4½ games behind the Braves); Cubs 39-50, 4th Place in the NL Central (9½ games behind the Reds)

Play Ball!: The All-Star Game is great and all, but I always go through just a little bit of withdrawal without my daily Phillies fix during the break. The Phils open the second half with 8 straight against the Cubs and Cardinals, and their next day off isn't until August 2nd. This is a key stretch for a team that has traditionally played their best in the 2nd half. In case you were wondering, the Braves open the 2nd half with 7 against the Brewers and Padres in Atlanta.

2003 Diamond Kings Diamond Cut Collection #DC-5 Marlon Byrd

It's nice to see Marlon Byrd finally live up to the potential the Phillies thought he had back in the early 2000s. Byrd toiled with the Nationals and Rangers before latching on this offseason with the Cubs. He's 5th in the NL in batting average (.317), 3rd in hits (105) and tops in doubles (27). Jenna and I were at the Phillies game back on May 14, 2005, when the side scoreboard flashed that Byrd had just been traded by the Phils to the Nationals for Endy Chavez. A small murmer went through the crowd, but no one got too excited. Who knew that Byrd would be patrolling the outfield in the All-Star Game 5 years later?

Phillies Probables: Jamie Moyer, Joe Blanton, Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay

Cubs Probables: Ryan Dempster, Ted Lilly, Randy Wells, Tom Gorzelanny