PHILADELPHIA - Despite losing an extra-inning bore turned thriller the evening prior, the energy was high among Philadelphia’s players prior to the series finale versus Texas. Before Phillies fans walked through the gates, Zack Wheeler and Orion Kerkering were both seen with their teammates, a day after making rehab appearances at Lehigh Valley (AAA).
Things have changed around the ballpark, but the most notable changes came in the lineup for Sunday’s contest. After consecutive days seeing the same players on the lineup card, Rob Thomson is giving his right-handed platoon partners a chance to start today with a series victory on the line. Edmundo Sosa and Otto Kemp, who both pinch-hit in yesterday’s extra-inning loss, find themselves starting today over Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh, respectively.
When asked prior to the game if this will be the norm, Rob Thomson gave some insight into his plans for facing left-handed starters coming up:
“It's game by game. You know, we'll see where we're at tomorrow,” Thomson said, according to Jeff Kerr of 97.3 ESPN FM. “I may play Marsh in center field tomorrow and give Justin a day. But I do want to get Sosa and Kemp back in there.”
It will always depend on matchups, historical success, and how each individual players is performing at the time. As has been common in Rob Thomosn’s tenure as Phillies manager, when he has a young player available he wants him to get as much run as possible in the lineup, which is one reason Crawford finds himself in the lineup against a tough left-hander in MacKenzie Gore today.
Another reason? Crawford recorded an other-wordly .376 average with a .929 OPS against southpaws in the minors last season, per our own Cory Nidoh. The rookie center fielder has gotten off to a strong start in Philadelphia, recording two hits in his debut and making a leaping catch up against the State Farm sign gracing the left-center field wall.
On the mound with the ink dried on a new contract will be Jesús Luzardo, who will be making his regular season debut. Luzardo, who looked electric during spring training (16.2 IP, 2.70 ERA), will look to kick-off his season strong after an elite finish to the year that resulted in the left-hander finishing seventh in National league Cy Young voting. Thomson spoke about his starter prior to the game and discussed what made him so effective in spring:
“The development of the changeup. The two-seam is even better than it was last year. He's really commanding it. He's improving. It's hard to do with where he was at last year, but he's doing it.”
The command will go a long way for Luzardo, but if you need more than spring training results to help you believe in Jesús - look at his advanced results from a season ago. He finished with a 3.92 ERA last year, but his FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching), which is typically a good predictor of future performance, was 2.93. That is a full run difference - good for the twelfth biggest difference in the majors last season. It seems hard to believe, but he seems to be getting better, and that is good for a team that finds itself having unusual question marks in their elite starting rotation.
Philadelphia has a chance to secure their first series victory of the year - something their manager focuses on throughout the year. Thomson told me last season that you want to win 28-30 series a season. You can’t get there without the first one, and the Phillies have the tools to get the job done and to kick-off the season with the ever-important hot start.
