Ahead of the Cubs second game in Philly with the Phillies, management invoked the rarely used Spring Training B Game exception. Jed Hoyer petitioned the league for the right to bat Carson Kelly in all 9 lineup positions (with his teammates serving as invisible runners) because he’s the only Cub to have any success against Tuesday night’s starter, Aaron Nola (4-4). The Cubs 26-man roster is batting a robust .194 against Nola and that includes the power trio of PCA, Breggers and Happ (not to be confused with Moe, Larry and Shemp.

This comes a day after Kyle Schwarber & Company beat Javier Assad like Joe Besser or Joe DeRita. Tonight the Cubs are countering with lefty Riley Martin as the opener in the hopes of slowing down Schwarbs, Trea Turner and Bryce Harper. The opener/bulk reliever scheme isn’t new, nor desperate.

Baseball being baseball, and since it would honk off the Phillies fans, I predict Cubs 7-Phillies 3.