By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Vying for his 100th career win — and the Philadelphia Phillies' (5-1) second series win of 2019 — 10-year veteran RHP Jake Arrieta will take the mound opposite six-year veteran RHP Michael Pineda and the Minnesota Twins (4-2) Saturday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. Catcher J.T. Realmuto will rest, with Andrew Knapp starting in his place; Saturday is the first time the Phillies will feature a different lineup this season.
The Phillies won their first of 20 Interleague games for 2019 in Friday's cold and rainy series opener, 10-4. First baseman Rhys Hoskins and center fielder Odubel Herrera led the way with three hit each, accounting for more than half of the club's 11 total hits. Hoskins drove in three on a single in the seventh — just the Phillies' seventh bases-clearing single since 1965. Starter Nick Pivetta earned the win, allowing four runs (three earned) on nine hits, one walk and four strikeouts over five innings. The Phillies' bullpen tossed a combined four scoreless frames, including a much-needed one by David Robertson in the ninth after his disappointing outing on Wednesday that resulted in the club's first loss of 2019. The Twins' Jorge Polanco went 5-5 and hit for the cycle, the first player to do so against the Phillies since April 2005.
RELATED | Phillies Overcome Heavy Rain, Top Twins in Homestand Opener
The Phillies are 5-1 for the first time since 2011, and have scored at least five runs in each of their first six games for the first time since 1898. Entering Saturday among MLB rankings, the club has the third-best record — trailing only the Milwaukee Brewers (7-1) and Seattle Mariners (7-2) — and the second-best run differential (+23), trailing only the Los Angeles Dodgers (+25). They are currently on pace to win 135 games and score 1,323 runs; they won 80 games and scored 677 runs in 2018.
Starting Pitching Matchup:
| Minnesota Twins (4-2) | Philadelphia Phillies (5-1) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RHP | Michael Pineda | RHP | Jake Arrieta | ||
| (0-0, 0.00 ERA) | (1-0, 1.50 ERA) | ||||
RHP Michael Pineda, Age: 30
- Career vs. PHI: 1-1, 8.68 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 9 1/3 IP, 13 H, 9 R, 9 ER, HR, 4 BB, 5 SO, 1.821 WHIP
- Career at Citizens Bank Park: N/A
Pineda will make just his second appearance since July 5, 2017, due to Tommy John and right knee meniscus surgeries. From 2014-17 with the New York Yankees, Pineda went 31-31 with a 4.16 ERA and 514-102 strikeout-to-walk ratio spanning 509 innings and 89 starts.
The Dominican Republic native, in his 2019 debut, threw four shutout innings on 40 pitches against the Cleveland Indians on Sunday. He allowed just one hit and one walk while punching out five batters.
In his most recent start against the Phillies, June 22, 2015, at Yankee Stadium, Pineda lasted just 3 1/3 innings, allowing 11 hits, eight runs (all earned), one walk, and a home run to then-rookie Maikel Franco, the third-ever road home run and eighth overall home run of his career.
RHP Jake Arrieta, Age: 33
- Career vs. MIN: 3-1, 2.90 ERA, 5 G, 5 GS, 31 IP, 24 H, 10 R, 10 ER, HR, 11 BB, 20 SO, 1.129 WHIP
- Career at Citizens Bank Park: 7-3, 3.07 ERA, 18 G, 18 GS, 102 2/3 IP, 83 H, 45 R, 35 ER, 11 HR, 37 BB, 97 SO, 1.169 WHIP
Ironically, Arrieta's most recent start against the Twins came just one day before Pineda's most recent start against the Phillies — June 21, 2015. While with the Chicago Cubs in his Cy Young Award season, the right-hander tossed a complete game, four-hit shutout with seven strikeouts against the Twins at Target Field.
Amid cold and windy conditions in his 2019 season debut on "Sunday Night Baseball" against the Atlanta Braves, Arrieta walked six and struck out six in six innings, while allowing just three hits and one earned run en route to 99th career victory. The 5-1 Phillies win featured a combined 19 walks and three hit batters.
Starting Lineups:
| Minnesota Twins (4-2) | Philadelphia Phillies (5-1) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Player | Bats | Position | Player | Bats | ||
| 1 | RF | Max Kepler | L | 1 | LF | Andrew McCutchen | R |
| 2 | C | Willians Astudillo | R | 2 | SS | Jean Segura | R |
| 3 | SS | Jorge Polanco | S | 3 | RF | Bryce Harper | L |
| 4 | 1B | C.J. Cron | R | 4 | 1B | Rhys Hoskins | R |
| 5 | LF | Jake Cave | L | 5 | CF | Odubel Herrera | L |
| 6 | 2B | Jonathan Schoop | R | 6 | 2B | Cesar Hernandez | S |
| 7 | 3B | Ehire Adrianza | S | 7 | C | Andrew Knapp | S |
| 8 | CF | Byron Buxton | R | 8 | 3B | Maikel Franco | R |
| 9 | P | Michael Pineda | R | 9 | P | Jake Arrieta | R |
Broadcast Information:
- First pitch: 2:05 p.m.
- TV: NBCSP+
- Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP
Game Notes:
#Phillies have scored 8 runs and seen 137 pitches in the first inning of their six games (22.8 per game), batting .307 (8-for-26) with 3 2B, HR, 7 BB. They have had a baserunner in the first inning of every game, and multiple in each of the last four.
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) April 6, 2019
- The Phillies will vie for their third-ever series win against the Twins out of seven overall, and their first-ever series win against the American League Central opponent at home (three overall). The Phillies are 9-10 against the Twins all-time since first meeting June 21-23, 2002.
- Sixers legend Allen Iverson will throw the ceremonial first pitch.
- Of the 12 unique World Series champions since 1996, the Phillies (5-1) are the only one currently with a winning record.
- 2019 Phillies Interleague Schedule: vs. Twins (April 5-7), vs. DET (April 30-May 1), at KC (May 10-12), at DET (July 23-24), vs. CWS (August 2-4), at BOS (August 20-21), vs. BOS (Sept. 14-15), & at CLE (Sept. 20-22).
- Combined in their careers against Pineda, the Phillies' Franco, shortstop Jean Segura, second baseman Cesar Hernandez and left fielder Andrew McCutchen are 7-10 with one double, two home runs, seven RBI, one walk and just two strikeouts (.700/.667/1.400). Franco, in particular, is 3-3 with a home run and three RBI.
What's Next:
- Sunday, April 7, 2019: vs. Minnesota Twins, 1:05 p.m.
- Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pa.
- RHP Jose Berrios (1-0, 1.84 ERA) vs. RHP Zach Eflin (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
- TV: NBCSP; Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP
