Jerome Williams David Buchanan and the Philadelphia Phillies will kick-off Spring Training this afternoon against 2009 World Series rivals, the New York Yankees. (Note: A late-decision by the Phillies had Buchanan instead starting today's game, 'flip flopping' with Williams as CSN Philly's Jim Salisbury writes).
Yankees' infielder Alex Rodriguez, who was the center of controversy this offseason in Major League Baseball, will not be present today at Bright House Field.
Starting Pitching Matchup:
|
New York Yankees (0-0) |
Philadelphia Phillies (0-0) |
||||
|
RHP |
(3-6, 2.97 ERA) |
RHP |
2014: (6-7, 4.77 ERA) |
||
Williams, 33, re-signed with the Phillies this offseason to a one-year deal worth $2.5 million. He was acquired by the team off of waivers from the Texas Rangers on August 10, 2014. In nine starts in red pinstripes last season, Williams posted a 4-2 record with a 2.83 ERA in 57.1 innings. He struck-out 38 batters and walked 17.
It is expected that Williams will earn a spot in the back-end of the rotation, behind Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and Aaron Harang. Chad Billingsley, who is currently recovering from a surgery on his torn flexor tendon, is Williams' main competitor for the #4 spot in the rotation.
Yankees' starter, 27-year-old right-hander Adam Warren, made 69 relief appearances last season, and finished 11 games. He struck out 76 batters in 78.2 innings of work, walking 24. He was originally drafted in the 36th round by the Cleveland Indians in the 2008 draft, but did not sign. At the draft the following year, he as selected in the fourth round by the Yankees and made his Major League debut 1,116 days later, replacing the injured C.C. Sabathia. Warren is expected to return as a reliever this season.
Starting Lineups:
|
New York Yankees (0-0) |
Philadelphia Phillies (0-0) |
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|
|
Position/Bats |
Player |
|
Position/Bats |
Player |
|
1 |
8/L |
1 |
8/L |
||
|
2 |
7/L |
2 |
6/S |
||
|
3 |
9/R |
3 |
7/L |
||
|
4 |
3/L |
4 |
3/L |
||
|
5 |
4/R |
5 |
DH/R |
||
|
6 |
2/R |
6 |
9/L |
||
|
7 |
DH/L |
7 |
5/R |
||
|
8 |
5/R |
8 |
4/S |
||
|
9 |
6/L |
9 |
2/R |
||
Broadcast Information:
- First-pitch: 1:05 pm EST
- TV: Comcast SportsNet, MLB Network (delay, 9:00 pm EST)
- Radio: 1210 WPHT, 94 WIP
What to Watch For:
- Ben Davis will make his debut as an in-game broadcaster, replacing Jamie Moyer as color commentator in the booth.
- Ben Revere will be playing without screws in his right ankle for the first time since mid-July of 2013, when he suffered a fracture. He tied for the National League-lead in hits last season, 184, with these screws in place.
- Ryan Howard, finally clear of family financial dispute, seeks a fresh start and rebound from past seasons as he enters his 12th season as a Phillie.
- When Domonic Brown made his Phillies debut on July 28, 2010, he was the talk of the city and was considered to be one of the best prospects in the game. 1,678 days removed from that day, the only time Brown has lived-up to such status was in the first-half of 2013 when he hit for 23 home runs and 67 runs-batted-in. Time is running out for the 27-year-old to find a way to consistently produce at the plate and improve his fielding abilities.
Matt Rappa (@mattrappa) is a contributor to Philliedelphia.com.
