Philadelphia set to host the Twins for three
Big things are expected of Nick Pivetta this season, so tonight he'll look to get on track as he and the Phillies open a three-game set at Citizens Bank Park against the Minnesota Twins.

Pivetta struggled in his first start of the season last week, surrendering four runs on eight hits over 4 2/3 innings in a win over Atlanta.

“Nick didn’t have his best stuff,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said afterward. “And, he didn’t have his legs.”

The Twins come to Philadelphia having won three straight and four of their first five contests. The Phillies, meanwhile, are coming off a walk-off loss in Washington after having won four straight to open a season for the first time since 1915.

Jake Odorizzi will be on the bump Friday for the Twins. He looked outstanding in his season debut on Saturday, tying a career-high with 11 strikeouts while surrendering one hit over six innings in a win over the Indians.

Interleague opponents
The Twins are playing the Phillies for the 19th time in their history and the first time since 2016 when they took a three-game series at Target Field. Minnesota is 10-8 all-time against Philadelphia.

Quinn news
Roman Quinn went 1-for-3 with a double on Thursday in his first game of a rehab assignment with Clearwater. If all goes well, he'll rejoin the club in mid-April. The Phillies could potentially be in a roster squeeze situation though when he's ready, meaning the club will likely have to decide on carrying one less bullpen arm or bumping Aaron Altherr from the 25-man roster.

Friday's lineup
McCutchen 7
Segura 6
Harper 9
Hoskins 3
Realmuto 2
Herrera 8
Hernandez 4
Franco 5
Pivetta 1
_____________________________________________
Follow Patrick on Twitter: @PGordonPBR

BY PATRICK GORDON
Managing Editor
pgordon@philadelphiabaseballreview.com

Post a Comment

Previous Post Next Post