Having split the first two of a three-game set with the Miami Marlins (4-11), the Philadelphia Phillies (5-10) will look for their second series victory of the season in today's afternoon matinee.
Starting Pitching Matchup:
| Miami Marlins (4-11) | Philadelphia Phillies (5-10) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RHP | David Phelps | RHP | Dustin McGowan | ||
| (0-0, 7.94 ERA) | (1-0, 2.57 ERA) | ||||
Phelps' first start of the season came last Friday against the New York Mets, after right hander Henderson Alvarez was placed on the 15-day disabled list with shoulder and elbow inflammation. He lasted 4.2 innings, allowing just one earned run, one hit and three walks on 75 pitches, 42 for strikes.
Prior, Phelps had two relief appearances against the Braves and Rays, where he allowed a combined four earned runs on four hits and two walks over one inning of work. He was acquired this offseason from the New York Yankees, along with utility player Martin Prado, in exchange for right hander Nathan Eovaldi and slugger Garret Jones.
Sean O'Sullivan (0-1, 4.91 ERA) was scheduled to face Phelps this afternoon, however he was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with left knee tendinitis. Taking his place will be right hander Dustin McGowan, who signed as a free agent with the Phillies nearly three weeks ago, Saturday, April 4.
The Phillies' bullpen will play a significant role in today's game, considering McGowan is only expected to throw a few innings. Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia's Jim Salisbury writes:
Dustin McGowan, who will get the start, predicted he’d only have three or four innings in him. McGowan started eight times with the Blue Jays from the start of last season until mid-May, but has since been used exclusively as a reliever. So the Phillies will definitely have to dip deep into their bullpen to get through the game.
Last night, Luis Garcia (24 pitches), Ken Giles (26), Justin De Fratus (4), and Jake Diekman (18) were all used in the team's 6-1 defeat against former top-prospect in the organization, Jarred Cosart.
In five relief appearances this season (seven innings), McGowan has struggled to retire his opposition. With a WHIP of 2.000 and an ERA of of 2.57, he has allowed two earned runs on seven hits and seven walks.
| Date | Opp | Rslt | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | BF | Pit | Str | GB | FB | LD | PU | AB | 2B | 3B | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 9 | BOS | L,2-6 | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | 9 | 42 | 24 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Apr 11 | WSN | W,3-2 | W(1-0) | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | 5 | 27 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Apr 14 | @ | NYM | L,5-6 | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2.25 | 6 | 20 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | |
| Apr 15 | @ | NYM | L,1-6 | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.50 | 9 | 30 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | |
| Apr 19 | @ | WSN | L,1-4 | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.57 | 6 | 25 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| 7.0 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 2.57 | 35 |
McGowan will be starting a game for the first time since May 14 of last season as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays. Facing the Cleveland Indians, he allowed four earned runs, nine hits and two walks in four innings of work. His experience as both a reliever and starter was the primary reason for general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. to sign him late out of Spring Training. In seven seasons with Toronto, 68 out of his 158 appearances (approximately 43%) were starting nods.
Starting Lineups:
| Miami Marlins (4-11) | Philadelphia Phillies (5-10) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Player | Bats | Position | Player | Bats | ||
| 1 | 2B | Dee Gordon | L | 1 | CF | Odubel Herrera | L |
| 2 | 3B | Martin Prado | R | 2 | LF | Ben Revere | L |
| 3 | RF | Giancarlo Stanton | R | 3 | 3B | Cody Asche | L |
| 4 | 1B | Michael Morse | R | 4 | RF | Jeff Francoeur | R |
| 5 | CF | Marcell Ozuna | R | 5 | 1B | Darin Ruf | R |
| 6 | LF | Ichiro Suzuki | L | 6 | 2B | Cesar Hernandez | S |
| 7 | C | Jarrod Saltalamacchia | S | 7 | C | Cameron Rupp | R |
| 8 | SS | Adeiny Hechavarria | R | 8 | SS | Andres Blanco | S |
| 9 | P | David Phelps | R | 9 | P | Dustin McGowan | R |
Broadcast Information:
- First-pitch: 1:05 pm EST
- TV: CSN
- Radio: 94 WIP, 1210 WPHT, SBP 1480 (Sp.)
What's Next:
Tomorrow evening, the Phillies will face first baseman Freddie Freeman and the Atlanta Braves for the first time this season. With right hander Aaron Harang slated to start to open the three-game series, he will face his former team from 2014 where he went 12-12 with a 3.57 ERA over 33 starts and 204.1 innings.
| Date | First Pitch | Braves Probable Starter | Phillies Probable Starter | TV | Radio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F, 4/24 | 7:05 |
(1-0, 3.93 ERA) |
(2-1, 1.96 ERA) |
CSN | 94WIP 1210 WPHT SBP 1480 (Sp.) |
| Sa, 4/25 | 7:05 |
(2-0, 1.96 ERA) |
(0-3, 9.22 ERA) |
||
| Su, 4/26 | 1:35 |
(0-2, 9.95 ERA) |
(1-1, 3.71 ERA) |
Matt Rappa (@mattrappa) is managing editor of Philliedelphia.com.
