By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
CINCINNATI — Arguably one of the best aspects of baseball is its quick turnaround.
After their 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds (1-1) on Opening Day at Great American Ball Park — in which seven of their 10 hits went for extra-bases — the Philadelphia Phillies (1-1) managed just four hits Wednesday evening in their 2-0 defeat to southpaw Brandon Finnegan. Only one hit escaped the infield and Finnegan would retire his last 19 batters faced in the rain-delayed contest.
As the Phillies offense looks to rebound, 10-year veteran RHP Clay Buchholz will make his club debut in the opening series rubber match Thursday afternoon. He will oppose RHP Rookie Davis for his big league debut.
Phillies switch-hitting catcher Andrew Knapp will also make his Major League debut, while Brock Stassi earns his first Major League start at first. Additionally, Daniel Nava is set for his Phillies debut in left, batting in the two-hole position.
Starting Pitching Matchup:
| Philadelphia Phillies (1-1) | Cincinnati Reds (1-1) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RHP | Clay Buchholz | RHP | Rookie Davis | ||
| (2016: 8-10 4.78 ERA) | MLB Debut | ||||
Buchholz, 32, will make his first career appearance against the Reds. Acquired from the Boston Red Sox on Dec. 20, 2016, in exchange for minor-league second baseman Josh Tobias, the Nederland, Texas native struggled in six starts this spring. In 21 2/3 innings, Buchholz surrendered 17 runs (16 earned) on 26 hits, 10 walks and five home runs. He struck out 16 batters.
Davis fared better than his opposition this spring, earning him the No. 3 spot in the Reds' starting rotation. In 15 2/3 innings, the 23-year-old yielded 10 runs (seven earned) on 16 hits, three walks and just one home run. He struck out 17 batters, one more than Buchholz in six less innings.
The Sneads Ferry, North Carolina native was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 14th round of the 2011 amateur draft. He was dealt to Cincinnati on Dec. 28, 2015, in the five-player transaction that sent closer Aroldis Chapman to the New York Yankees.
Starting Lineups:
| Philadelphia Phillies (1-1) | Cincinnati Reds (1-1) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Player | Bats | Position | Player | Bats | ||
| 1 | 2B | Cesar Hernandez | S | 1 | CF | Billy Hamilton | S |
| 2 | LF | Daniel Nava | S | 2 | 2B | Jose Peraza | R |
| 3 | CF | Odubel Herrera | L | 3 | 1B | Joey Votto | L |
| 4 | 3B | Maikel Franco | R | 4 | LF | Adam Duvall | R |
| 5 | RF | Michael Saunders | L | 5 | 3B | Eugenio Suarez | R |
| 6 | C | Andrew Knapp | S | 6 | RF | Scott Schebler | L |
| 7 | 1B | Brock Stassi | L | 7 | SS | Zack Cozart | R |
| 8 | SS | Freddy Galvis | S | 8 | C | Stuart Turner | R |
| 9 | P | Clay Buchholz | L | 9 | P | Rookie Davis | R |
Broadcast Information:
- First pitch: 12:35 p.m.
- TV: CSN
- Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP
Game Notes:
- A Phillies win would secure them their first series win to start the season since 2011 against the Houston Astros, and their first road opening series win since 2010 against the Washington Nationals.
- Stassi earns the start over first baseman Tommy Joseph, who is 0-for-8 so far this season with five strikeouts.
- Phillies right-handed starters Jeremy Hellickson and Jerad Eickhoff have combined for a 2.31 ERA thus far through 11 2/3 innings this season, with seven strikeouts and two walks.
- Right-hander Zach Eflin will begin a rehab assignment Thursday evening with Single-A Clearwater, earning the starting nod against Dunedin. Eflin was placed on the 10-day disabled list on April 2 — retroactive to March 30 — with left and right knee tendinitis.
What's Next:
- Friday, April 7, 2017: vs. Washington Nationals, 3:05 p.m.
- Citizens Bank Park
- RHP Max Scherzer (2016: 20-7, 2.96 ERA) vs. RHP Vince Velasquez (2016: 8-6, 4.12 ERA)
- TV: NBC10, MLBN, Telemundo; Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP
