After dropping three straight games, the Phillies were back in the city of Brotherly Love for their home opener against the Marlins. Nick Pivetta was set to take the hill for his second start of the young season, and was backed by the following lineup:
Can't wait to see you today, Philly!
Here's our lineup for Nemours #OpeningDay! #BeBold pic.twitter.com/OXQqKVC0Iq
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 5, 2018
It seems that Kap has quickly taken a liking to the rookie stud Scott Kingery, as he moved all the way to third in the batting order. It’s also interesting that Kap tasked Kingery with right field duties- given his lack of experience at the position. Nonetheless, the Phils were back in Philly and ready to give their home fans a show. Let’s recap the home opener:
Pederson Still Got it
Super Bowl winning head coach Doug Pederson was set to throw the ceremonial first pitch. He received a roaring ovation as the crowd bursted E-A-G-L-E-S chants around Citizen’s Bank Park.
The moment became even more heartwarming as he revealed the Roy Halladay jersey he was donning. It was an incredibly kind tribute by Pederson and yet another example of how much of a class act he is. The former quarterback proved to still have a cannon as he launched the pitch over the plater for a perfect strike:
No trickery here, just a perfect strike from @Eagles Super Bowl champion head coach, Doug Pederson! pic.twitter.com/SjECMt2adW
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 5, 2018
Trained Eye
The young Phillies displayed impressive plate discipline through the first three innings. The team racked up up six walks, and their plate vision helped them get out to a quick 2-0 lead. It’s encouraging to see that they aren’t pressing at the plate, despite the team’s slow start, and remain focused on limiting unproductive swings.
Pivetta Dazzles in CBP
The home crowd in Philly was dazzled by a masterful performance by Nick Pivetta in his 2018 home debut. Pivetta was one step ahead of the Marlins batters all day, striking out one after the other as he cruised through their lineup.. Pivetta allowed only four hits and punched out nine battersin 5 2⁄3 innings of shutout baseball. Not bad, #43.
Franco Explodes
People were already starting to ponder whether or not Kingery deserves to be the everyday third baseman over Maikel Franco, as Franco struggled mightily at the plate. The dominican slugger was batting a dreadful .091 entering the ball game, but broke through with big game in the home opener. Franco collected three hits, including a triple and a 376 ft bomb to left field, and four RBIs(!) against the Marlins. It was just the kind of game he needed, and hopefully this is the start of a productive stretch for the young infielder.
Bullpen Holds Steady
Adam Morgan, Luis Garcia, and Hector Neris were all called upon to pitch an inning in relief of Pivetta. The relievers posted identical numbers, allowing zero hits and recording a strikeout in an inning of work. As a result, the Phils take game one over Miami by a score of 5-0.
What’s Next?
Game 2 of the series is set to take place on Saturday instead of tomorrow, as the team wanted to take a break to celebrate the birthday of Philly Sports Network founder Liam Jenkins!! In all seriousness, the team is set to play Saturday as they are scheduled, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to give an early birthday shoutout:
Vince Velasquez is set to kick things off in game two, as he looks to rebound from a poor start against the Braves.https://gph.is/2fIpi64
Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
