Road Trip Continues - Cubs to Face Brett Meyers in Philadelphia

With Jason Marquis out until at least Sunday, Lou has had to shuffle the rotation. Given the days off, Carlos Zambrano and Ted Lilly now go on their normal rest in the first two games. They were originally slated to throw the weekend games, Jason's strep throat changed things. Sunday's pitcher is still TBD.

The Cubs are riding a five game winning streak, including their first three road games, which were also their first three at night. It took a toll on the bullpen, so another solid outing by Zambrano is needed.

Brett Meyers will face Zambrano on Friday night. Saturday night's game will be lefty vs. lefty, with Cole Hamels battling Ted Lilly. Sunday's matinee will feature former Cubs pitcher Jamie Moyer. The veteran lefty is in his 73rd season in the majors, and still hasn't lost a bit of his 82 MPH fastball.

We'll examine his stuff another time. Here's a brief look at Brett Meyers. The Phillies game I pulled from 2008 needed about 7 inches of adjustment for the pfx_x numbers. The key thing is the '07 games are as a closer, not as a starter.



As you can see, he has gone back to throwing a fourth pitch as a starter. Let's dig in a bit. He's got a fastball, slider and a curveball. And, as a starter, a change/cutter type pitch.