Pregame Notes: Cubs look to take series finale against Philly

We’re getting closer and  closer to the All-Star break which means teams are going to want to finish the first half of the season as strong as possible. Later on this afternoon, the Cubs (27-39) will be taking on the Phillies (29-37) in a rubber match before finishing up their road trip later on this week.

Taking the mound tonight in hopes of taking series win number five on the year will be lefty Travis Wood. Wood (6-5, 4.95 ERA) is looking for his second win in the month of June after defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates on the road back on June 10. He finished that game with three earned runs off nine hits (one home run), two walks/strikeouts across 6 2/3 innings to record win number six. With the trade deadline coming up next month, Wood could possibly become a trade candidate when it’s time for the team to pull the trigger on a deal. He had himself a great 2013 campaign, but has allowed a couple outings to get out of control during the first half of the season.

Starting opposite for the Phillies will be right-handed veteran A.J. Burnett. Burnett (4-5, 4.24 ERA) also recorded a win on June 10 but against the San Diego Padres at home after completing 7 1/3 innings with two earned runs off three hits (one home run) and three strikeouts. The 37 year old starting pitcher struggled during the early half of the year, posting a whopping 7.25 ERA in just 36 innings in his previous six starts before picking up the victory against the Padres.

Worth noting that the Cubs will be without utility man Emilio Bonifacio who will spend a little time on the disabled list after suffering a left oblique strain – which means Darwin Barney will split playing time with Luis Valbuena. Now here’s a look at the lineup for the Cubs:

Here’s the lineup for the Phillies:

Today’s game will be aired on WGN America and WGN Radio at 12:35 P.M. CT.