Chicago Cubs
Cubs face Phillies' dangerous young hitters (Aug 25, 2017)
Chicago Cubs

Cubs face Phillies' dangerous young hitters (Aug 25, 2017)

Published Aug. 25, 2017 2:28 a.m. ET

PHILADELPHIA -- After watching a five-game winning streak end in the final innings of a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds, the Chicago Cubs will try to rebound Friday in the opener of a three-game series against the deceivingly dangerous Philadelphia Phillies.

Though the Phillies (46-80) possess the worst record in the major leagues, there is quite a bit of excitement surrounding the club of late thanks to some powerful young bats.

Rookie outfielders Nick Williams and Rhys Hoskins, plus second-year first baseman Tommy Joseph, are forming a 3-4-5 core of the lineup that manager Pete Mackanin can pencil in for production.

"We're getting close. It's a better feeling where I can fill in -- actually fill in the top five spots and then go from there," Mackanin said, including leadoff hitter Cesar Hernandez and shortstop Freddy Galvis as his regulars.

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The trio of Williams, Hoskins and Joseph combined for seven hits, four runs and eight RBIs on Thursday as the Phillies dropped the finale of a four-game series against the Miami Marlins, 9-8. It was the second straight game in which Philadelphia at least eight runs and 11 hits.

Hoskins has drawn the most attention of late, and rightfully so.

The slugging right-handed hitter, a natural first baseman moved temporarily to the outfield due to the presence of Joseph, has eight home runs and 19 RBIs in his first 15 major league games. No other player in major league history has had more than eight homers in his first 15 games; only two others have equaled the feat.

Hitting cleanup in the majors isn't bothering Hoskins in the slightest.

"It's good to see, I like him in the middle of that lineup," Mackanin said.

The Cubs (68-58) are also benefitting from the presence of some recent arrivals, including their Friday starter, Jose Quintana.

Since he was acquired from the crosstown rival White Sox in July, Quintana has provided crucial stability to the Cubs' rotation, going 4-2 with a 3.73 ERA in his first seven starts with the club. He won each of his past two starts, holding the Blue Jays to four hits and two runs in six innings on Saturday in a 4-3 victory.

"(My command) was really better today than last time," Quintana said Saturday. "Try to get quick outs, try to (pitch) longer in the game. It was a close game, but hitters (gave) good support."

Quintana also has allowed six or fewer hits in each of his past 14 starts, the longest active streak in the major leagues.

This will be just Quintana's second career start and appearance against the Phillies. In 2013, facing an entirely different Philadelphia lineup, he went six innings, giving up three runs while striking out five.

He will be opposed by Phillies righty Jerad Eickhoff, who has generally had a strong second half, although his last outing was not representative of that. Eickhoff (3-7, 4.46 ERA) lasted only 4 2/3 innings Saturday against the San Francisco Giants, giving up eight hits and four runs. That snapped a stretch in which he went 2-0 with a 2.83 ERA over five starts.

Eickhoff will be facing the Cubs for the second time this year. He took a loss against Chicago on May 3, giving up four runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings.

For his career, Eickhoff is 1-2 with a 3.51 ERA in four starts against the Cubs.

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