Odubel Herrera may be the Phillies' best hitter, but he won't be in the starting lineup tonight against tough Cubs lefty Jon Lester (see game notes).
Instead, manager Pete Mackanin is going with a starting outfield that features Tyler Goeddel in left, Peter Bourjos in center and newcomer Jimmy Paredes in right.
Herrera is 1 for 4 with two punchouts in his career against Lester with all of those at bats coming in a 6-2 Cubs win at Wrigley Field on May 27. Lester dominated in that start, tossing 6 1/3 innings while giving up just six hits and two runs in the victory.
Bourjos hasn't started since a May 30 loss to the Nationals when he went 0 for 3. He's made five plate appearances since, going 0 for 5. But dating back to his days with the Angels, Bourjos has plenty of experience facing Lester when the lefty was with the Red Sox. Bourjos is 5 for 13 with a double against Lester. Combine that with the fact Bourjos is a righty and you can see he'd be a viable option for Mackanin tonight.
Goeddel, another righty, finds himself back in the lineup after getting just one start in the four-game set against the visiting Brewers. He singled and walked against Lester back at Wrigley.
Paredes, a switch-hitter, swung the bat well against the Brewers. He went 4 for 12 with a double and a homer. He earned himself another start as the Phils are desperate for some pop in the lineup.
The Phillies will counter a powerful Cubs lineup with lefty Adam Morgan on the hill.
Philadelphia Phillies
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Both teams' lineups for tonight can be found below:
Phillies
1. Cesar Hernandez 2B
2. Freddy Galvis SS
3. Tommy Joseph 1B
4. Maikel Franco 3B
5. Cameron Rupp C
6. Tyler Goeddel LF
7. Peter Bourjos CF
8. Jimmy Paredes RF
9. Adam Morgan SP
Cubs
1. Dexter Fowler CF
2. Jason Heyward RF
3. Kris Bryant 3B
4. Anthony Rizzo 1B
5. Jorge Soler LF
6. Javier Baez 2B
7. Addison Russell SS
8. David Ross C
9. Jon Lester SP
