Phillies, Kapler look for return to normalcy in series opener against Mets

By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor

UPDATE: Monday's series opener has been postponed due to snow. The game will be made up on Monday, July 9, as a single-admission doubleheader starting at 4:10 p.m. Lively and Harvey will instead pitch on Tuesday.

After a bizarre start to the 2018 regular season under manager Gabe Kapler — in which the club received a formal warning letter from the league — the Philadelphia Phillies (1-2) will look to return to normalcy in the now-shortened, two-game series opener against Matt Harvey and the New York Mets (2-1) Tuesday evening at Citi Field. Ben Lively receives the starting nod for the Phillies. Both games of the series will not be televised, and instead streamed on NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com and Facebook on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

The Phillies failed to capture their first opening series win since 2011 in Saturday's 15-2 rout against the Atlanta Braves. Starter Vince Velasquez failed to get out of the third, allowing seven runs (four earned) on nine hits, two walks and a wild pitch spanning 69 pitches (47 strikes). Five Phillies relievers would follow over the next 5 1/3 innings — including utility infielder Pedro Florimon — and allowed eight runs (six earned) on 10 hits and three walks with just one strikeout. The Phillies committed a season-high four fielding errors and were outhit 19-6. Offensively, Scott Kingery went 2-4 with a pair of doubles while appearing at shortstop and in left field — the first Phillie to play both positions in the same game since Freddy Galvis (Sept. 2013, Sept. 2017).

Collectively in the three-game opening series, 21 Phillies pitchers appeared in 28 innings — including 18 relievers in 16 innings — and threw 503 pitches, or 17.96 pitches per inning. The Mets, meanwhile, are coming off a series win against the St. Louis Cardinals and got off to their first 2-0 start since 2013. Manager Mickey Callaway's club used 13 pitchers in 27 innings — including 10 relievers in 11 1/3 innings —  and threw 512 pitches, or 18.96 pitches per inning.

The Phillies have won three of their last five games against the Mets dating back to Sept. 5 of last season. The Phillies routed the Mets 11-0 in 2017's Oct. 1 season finale at home — the last game for Pete Mackanin and Terry Collins as managers.

Starting Pitching Matchup:

RHP Ben Lively, Age: 26

• Career vs. NYM: 2-1, 2.33 ERA, 3 G, 3 GS, 19 1/3 IP, 15 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 HR, 7 BB, 7 SO, 1.138 WHIP
• Career at Citi Field: 1-1, 2.03 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 13 1/3 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 7 BB, 6 SO, 1.200 WHIP

Lively was the only Phillies starter to toss a complete game last season, when as a rookie he combined to go 4-7 with a 4.26 ERA, 1.286 WHIP and 52-24 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 88 2/3 innings.

The right-hander' starting pitcher role became solidified to start 2018 due to Jake Arrieta's needed time at Triple-A Lehigh Valley to prepare for the season and the injury of Jerad Eickhoff (strained right lat). In six games (five starts) this spring, Lively went 1-1 with a 3.13 ERA and 0.826 WHIP in 23 innings.

RHP Matt Harvey, Age: 29

• Career vs. PHI: 7-3, 3.07 ERA, 11 G, 11 GS, 67 1/3 IP, 53 H, 23 R, 23 ER, 8 HR, 16 BB, 71 SO, 1.025 WHIP
• Career at Citi Field: 17-13, 3.00 ERA, 50 G, 49 GS, 315 IP, 256 H, 111 R, 105 ER, 34 HR, 73 BB, 311 SO, 1.044 WHIP

Harvey will make his 50th career start at Citi Field. The 2013 National League All-Star has not pitched in such form since 2015, combining to go 9-17 over the last two seasons with a 5.78 ERA, 1.581 WHIP and 143-72 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 185 1/3 innings and 36 games (35 starts). Harvey has battled injury in his career, missing all of 2014 (Tommy John), some of 2016 due to shoulder pain and thoracic outlet syndrome, and missed time last season due to a stress fracture in his scapula.

The Mets and Harvey avoided arbitration on Jan. 12 by agreeing to a one-year, $5.625 million contract. Harvey receives a $500,000 raise in what will be his final year under contract after what will be six big league seasons since 2012. The right-hander drew interest in trade discussion this offseason from the Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers, but nothing came to fruition. Harvey posted a 4.50 ERA in five starts this spring, allowing 10 runs in 20 innings on 21 hits, six walks and 18 strikeouts (1.350 WHIP).

Starting Lineups:

Broadcast Information:

• First pitch: 7:10 p.m.
• TV: NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com (stream only), MLBN (out of market)
• Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP

Game Notes:

• The Mets have the second-best team batting average thus far, .306. Only the Atlanta Braves, who faced the Phillies March 29-31, have a better average at .325. The Mets lead baseball in on-base percentage, however (.415).
• All-time at Citi Field since the venue opened in 2009, the Phillies are 39-44. Last season, the club went 4-5 on the road against the Mets and won one of three series on April 18-20.
• Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco has two career homers against Harvey in just eight at-bats. Jose Reyes and Dominic Smith (10-day disabled list, strained right quadriceps), meanwhile, have gone yard once each opposite Lively.

What's Next:

• Wednesday, April 4, 2018: at New York Mets, 1:10 p.m.
  • Citi Field, Queens, N.Y.
  • RHP Aaron Nola (0-0, 1.69 ERA) vs. RHP Noah Syndergaard (1-0, 6.00 ERA)
  • TV: Facebook
  • Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP