Replacing the injured Jerome Williams, who was put on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with a strained left hamstring, will be left hander Adam Morgan for his big league debut.
Morgan will take the mound this afternoon in a Father's Day matinee against the St. Louis Cardinals (45-23), as the Philadelphia Phillies (23-47) look to avoid being swept for the seventh time this season in 23 series overall (approximately 30.4%).
To make room for Morgan on the roster, right hander Seth Rosin was optioned down to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Last night in his Phillies debut, Rosin allowed five runs on seven hits and a walk in two innings of relief.
Starting Pitching Matchup:
| St. Louis Cardinals (45-23) | Philadelphia Phillies (23-47) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RHP | Michael Wacha | LHP | Adam Morgan | ||
| (9-2, 2.48 ERA) | (2015 LHV: 0-6, 4.74 ERA) | ||||
Wacha, 23, is 6-1 with a 2.08 ERA in eight starts on the road this season. The 2013 NLCS Most Valuable Player began the year having won seven consecutive decisions, before finally losing in his tenth start on May 30, against former Phillie Jimmy Rollins and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The right hander's only regular season start against the Phillies came on April 28. In 5.2 innings, he allowed four runs on six hits and two walks, as the Cardinals went on to win in convincing fashion, 11-5. Ironically, this April outing for Wacha against Philadelphia has been one of his worst thus far in 2015 (tied for fewest innings pitched and most runs allowed).
| Date | Opp | Rslt | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | HBP | BF | Pit | Str | AB | 2B | 3B | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11 | @ | CIN | W,4-1 | W(1-0) | 6.1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1.42 | 25 | 76 | 55 | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| Apr 17 | CIN | W,6-1 | W(2-0) | 7.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1.35 | 28 | 103 | 69 | 26 | 1 | 0 | |
| Apr 23 | @ | WSN | W,4-1 | W(3-0) | 7.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1.33 | 28 | 95 | 61 | 26 | 1 | 0 |
| Apr 28 | PHI | W,11-5 | W(4-0) | 5.2 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2.42 | 26 | 91 | 60 | 21 | 1 | 0 | |
| May 3 | PIT | W,3-2 | 6.2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.93 | 27 | 100 | 70 | 24 | 1 | 0 | ||
| May 8 | @ | PIT | W,8-5 | W(5-0) | 6.0 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2.09 | 26 | 104 | 70 | 25 | 1 | 0 |
| May 14 | @ | CLE | W,2-1 | 5.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2.06 | 22 | 105 | 73 | 20 | 2 | 1 | |
| May 19 | @ | NYM | W,10-2 | W(6-0) | 7.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2.13 | 27 | 104 | 71 | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| May 24 | @ | KCR | W,6-1 | W(7-0) | 7.0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1.87 | 27 | 92 | 58 | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| May 30 | LAD | L,1-5 | L(7-1) | 5.2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2.27 | 24 | 112 | 69 | 20 | 1 | 0 | |
| Jun 4 | @ | LAD | W,7-1 | W(8-1) | 7.0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2.18 | 28 | 107 | 76 | 26 | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 9 | @ | COL | L,3-4 | L(8-2) | 6.2 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2.45 | 30 | 108 | 76 | 29 | 1 | 0 |
| Jun 16 | MIN | W,3-2 | W(9-2) | 6.1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2.48 | 23 | 85 | 59 | 22 | 1 | 0 | |
| 83.1 | 68 | 25 | 23 | 19 | 62 | 6 | 3 | 2.48 | 341 |
Morgan, 25, allowed 81 hits, 45 runs (36 earned), seven home runs and 27 walks over his 13 starts in 68.1 innings with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs this season. In 29 outings overall with the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate, dating back to last season, the southpaw is 2-13 with a 4.38 ERA over 139.2 innings.
As Randy Miller of NJ.com notes, Morgan will be the 11th starting pitcher the Phillies have used this season, their most since using 12 in 2009. These starting pitchers include: Phillippe Aumont (0-1, 13.50 ERA), Chad Billingsley (0-2, 6.75 ERA), David Buchanan (0-5, 8.76 ERA), Kevin Correia (0-1, 1.69 ERA), Severino Gonzalez (2-2, 8.69 ERA), Cole Hamels (5-5, 2.96 ERA), Aaron Harang (4-9, 3.41 ERA), Dustin McGowan (1-2, 6.94 ERA), Sean O'Sullivan (1-5, 4.79 ERA), and Williams (3-7, 6.43 ERA).
Miller adds the following regarding the newest Phillie in red pinstripes:
The 2011 third-round pick is winless in 17 starts since winning a Triple-A outing on Aug. 6, 2013.
Morgan will debut in the majors on short rest, but he pulled after allowing two runs in two innings last Wednesday once the IronPigs were told by the Phillies that he'd be promoted.
Starting Lineups:
| St. Louis Cardinals (45-23) | Philadelphia Phillies (23-47) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Projected | Bats | Position | Announced | Bats | ||
| 1 | 2B | Kolten Wong | L | 1 | CF | Ben Revere | L |
| 2 | 3B | Matt Carpenter | L | 2 | 2B | Cesar Hernandez | S |
| 3 | SS | Jhonny Peralta | R | 3 | 3B | Maikel Franco | R |
| 4 | RF | Jason Heyward | L | 4 | 1B | Ryan Howard | L |
| 5 | C | Yadier Molina | R | 5 | RF | Domonic Brown | L |
| 6 | LF | Randal Grichuk | R | 6 | LF | Cody Asche | L |
| 7 | 1B | Tyler Scruggs | R | 7 | C | Cameron Rupp | R |
| 8 | CF | Peter Bourjos | R | 8 | SS | Freddy Galvis | S |
| 9 | P | Michael Wacha | R | 9 | P | Adam Morgan | L |
Game Notes:
- Phillies' third baseman Maikel Franco has nine multi-hit performances spanning 18 games in the month of June. The 22-year-old rookie is batting .362/.405/.667 during this stretch with 25 hits, six doubles, five home runs, 10 runs-batted-in and four unintentional walks.
- The St. Louis Cardinals are 19-19 all-time at Citizens Bank Park. They have defeated the Phillies in five of their six total meetings this season.
- Odubel Herrera and Chase Utley each have two career runs-batted-in against Wacha in five combined at-bats. Both are out of today's starting lineup.
Broadcast Information:
- First-pitch: 1:35 pm EST
- TV: CSN
- Radio: 94 WIP, 1210 WPHT, WTTM 1680 (Sp.)
What's Next:
- Monday, June 22, 2015: at New York Yankees, 7:05 pm
- RHP Kevin Correia (0-1, 1.69 ERA) vs. TBA
- TV: CSN; Radio: 94 WIP, 1210 WPHT, WTTM 1680 (Sp.)
- Tuesday, June 23, 2015: at New York Yankees, 7:05 pm
- RHP Sean O'Sullivan (1-5, 4.79 ERA) vs. TBA
- TV: CSN; Radio: 94 WIP, 1210 WPHT, WTTM 1680 (Sp.)
- Wednesday, June 24, 2015: at New York Yankees, 1:05 pm
- LHP Cole Hamels (5-5, 2.96 ERA) vs. TBA
- TV: NBC 10, MLBN; Radio: 94 WIP, 1210 WPHT, WTTM 1680 (Sp.)
Matt Rappa (@mattrappa) is managing editor of Philliedelphia.com.
