Phillies-Cubs: What you need to know

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Chicago Cubs (8-14) at Phillies (10-12)7:05 p.m. on CSN

The Phillies had a chance to finish April over .500 by winning at least three of four in a sweepable home series with the Cubs, but can now only finish the month 11-12 at best after losing two of the first three games.

Starting pitchers
Vance Worley takes the mound in hopes of salvaging the Phillies seventh series of the season. To date, the Phils are 2-3-1 in six series.

Worley is 2-1 with a 2.16 ERA and has impressed in back-to-back outings. In San Diego and Arizona, Worley went 2-0 and allowed one run in 13 innings, walking four and striking out 17. He has 27 strikeouts in 25 innings this season; his 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings is the eighth best rate in baseball.

Worley is freezing batters at a remarkable pace. He led all National League pitchers last year in called strikes and 18 of his 27 strikeouts this season have been looking.

The Phillies are glad to see Cubs righthander Chris Volstad (0-3, 6.14). Volstad pitches Monday to give reliever-turned-starter Jeff Samardzija an extra day of rest.

Volstad has made 12 starts in his career against the Phillies, all coming from 2008-11 as a Marlin. He had a 2.60 ERA in his first five starts against the Phils, but things have changed since hitters figured him out. In his last seven starts against the Phillies, Volstad has an 8.58 ERA and his team has lost every game. In that span hes allowed 13 home runs in 36 innings, more than one every three innings.

Ryan Howard left Sunday to rehab in Florida. Its a shame he isnt around for this one. Howard is a mind-boggling 13 for 26 lifetime off Volstad with eight home runs.

Phillies on the 40-man roster have hit .358.421.671 off Volstad for a 1.095 OPS. Carlos Ruiz is 9 for 20 (.450) with four doubles and four walks. Jimmy Rollins is 13 for 29 (.448) with a homer, two doubles and no strikeouts.

Previous games
The Cubs beat Roy Halladay and the Phillies in Game 1. Joe Blanton fired a gem in Game 2 to even up the series. Then Matt Garza toyed with Charlie Manuels team Sunday in a Cubs win.

Head-to-head
The Phillies are 42-25 (.627) against the Cubs over the last decade.

If the Cubs win Monday night, it will be the Phillies first home series loss to the Cubs since 2001.

Whos hot
Worleys coming off of two of the best starts of his career. Batting-wise there arent too many appropriate answers.

Whos not
Shane Victorino is 1 for 17 over the last four games. His batting average is down to .230. Freddy Galvis is 2 for 22 since April 20 and is back under .200, at .194.

Storylines
The Phillies need to take care of business against a starting pitcher who rarely retires lefties and hasnt been able to solve Rollins or Ruiz. The perfect scenario is in place for Rollins to have a big night and snap out of a funk that began 13 games ago.

The Phils have treaded water all April and look to avoid their fifth two-game losing streak of the season. Last year, their fifth two-game losing streak came on July 27-28.

Sound off
What will your level of confidence in the Phillies be if they cant get to Volstad Monday night?

E-mail Corey Seidman at cseidman@comcastsportsnet.com

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