Phillies’ Jake Thompson set to oppose Padres in Major League debut

By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor

SAN DIEGO — The 2,000th and newest player to don a Philadelphia Phillies (51-60) uniform in franchise history will be right-hander Jake Thompson, as he makes his Major League debut in opposition of right-hander Paul Clemens and the San Diego Padres (47-62) Saturday evening at Petco Park.

Acquired from the Texas Rangers on July 31, 2015, Thompson will become the third return in the Cole Hamels/Jake Diekman trade to appear on the big-league roster, joining right-handers Alec Asher (7 GS, 0-6, 9.31 ERA) and Jerad Eickhoff (30 GS, 9-15, 3.39 ERA). The other three returns from the Rangers include veteran southpaw Matt Harrison (back), as well as prospects Jorge Alfaro and Nick Williams.

Starting Pitching Matchup:

Jake Thompson — Age: 22;

• Last Start: July 31 2016, at ROC: W, 7.0 IP, 4 H, R, ER, 2 SO
• Career vs. SDP: N/A

Thompson has had eight consecutive winning decisions spanning 11 starts at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He is ranked as the Phillies' top pitching prospect and the 70th-best MLB prospect overall by MLBPipeline.com.

Paul Clemens — Age: 28;

• Last Start: July 31, 2016, vs. CIN: L, 4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, BB, 5 SO, HR
• Career vs. PHI: N/A

Clemens was claimed off of waivers from the Miami Marlins on June 28. He exited his most recent start against the Reds early with tightness in his lower back. The three-year veteran has yet to oppose the Phillies in his career.

Starting Lineups:

Broadcast Information:

• First pitch: 8:40 p.m.
• TV: CSN
• Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP

Game Notes:

• Last Game: Phillies 5, Padres 4 — Rupp powers Phillies to victory in series opener against Friedrich, Padres
• Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp has homered in three consecutive games and has eight hits over his last 19 at-bats, raising his batting average for the season to .278. His eight RBIs in the month of August leads the National League and is tied for the second-most in baseball, trailing just Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler (10).
• Padres first baseman Wil Myers (4.3) and outfielder Travis Jankowski (3.8) rank first and third respectively for offensive WAR in the month of August among National League players. Rupp ranks eighth at 2.9.
• Since 2008, the Phillies have won 164 of their 284 games against National League West opponents. Their .577 combined winning percentage against the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks trails just the St. Louis Cardinals over the same stretch, .579.

Standings:

What's Next:

• Sunday, August 7, 2016: at San Diego Padres, 4:40 p.m.
• Petco Park
  
• RHP Jerad Eickhoff (6-12, 3.68 ERA) vs. RHP Jarred Cosart (0-1, 5.09 ERA)
• TV: CSN; Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP