Justin Steele of the Cubs pitches against the streaky Phillies

After an exceptional start to the season, Justin Steele is back down to earth Chicago Cubs

Facing the host Philadelphia Phillies A club poised for another winning streak may not make it easy for the slugger to return to action in the finale of the three-game set on Sunday.

Steele (6-1, 2.44 ERA) made 14 straight starts in which he allowed two or fewer earned runs and had a 1.45 ERA through the first week of 2023, then allowed three runs on seven hits in six innings, 10- with 4 wins. St. Louis on May 10. Then Steele, battling flu-like symptoms, allowed a season-high five runs — four in the fourth inning — and five hits in six innings of a 7-3 rout of Chicago. Houston on Tuesday.

“(The Astros) punished me well when I left stuff at the plate,” Steele said. “(But) I was glad I was able to calm down.”

Steele allowed a first-inning home run to Kyle Schwarber when he struck out Phillies on July 22, 2022. However, that was the only run he allowed over five innings in the game Puppies‘ Road 15-2

It was Schwarber’s only hit against Steele in five at-bats, but the ex-Cub hit a grand slam to highlight Philadelphia’s six-run first inning en route to a 12-3 victory Saturday that snapped a five-game skid.

THE Phillies 10-11 since April 26, a stretch that begins with a four-game winning streak, followed by six straight losses, followed by five consecutive wins and that five-game losing streak before Saturday.

“There was a little bit of a slide, but we were able to get back on the board,” Schwarber, who is hitting .176, told NBC Sports Philadelphia. “Good offensive approaches.”

Phillies Shortstop Trea Turner is 0-1 with a walk against Steele and is expected to be back in the lineup after getting the day off Saturday. Turner, who signed an 11-year, $300 million deal, went 0-4 in Friday’s 10-1 loss to Chicago, hitting just .257 with four homers, a .302 on-base percentage and six errors. .

“I think sometimes the offense is about your defense and that’s only natural.” Phillies said manager Rob Thomson. “But I think he played well.

Philadelphia, on the other hand, is currently without a fifth starter after Bailey Falter was optioned to Triple-A earlier this week. Taijuan Walker (3-2, 6.53) could start on short rest Sunday after allowing four runs, four hits and two walks on 40 pitches over two-thirds of an inning in Wednesday’s 7-4 loss at San Francisco.

“I checked with the doctors, the pitching (coaches), I talked to Taijuan and he’s good (Sunday),” Thomson said.

The right-hander failed to complete five innings in five of his nine starts. 1-2 in four career starts Puppiesbut he has a 3.74 ERA in those games

Chicago’s Trey Mancini is 3 for 5 with a double and a walk against Walker. Teammate Christopher Morel is 1-for-2 against Walker. Morel is hitting .381 (16-for-42) with 13 RBIs in 10 games and has hit two of his seven homers in this series since his 2023 debut.

THE Puppies They have lost 18 of 26 games and are 3-12 in their last 15 away games

— Field Level Media