The Phillies took two of three from the Athletics over the weekend at Citizens Bank Park to open the 2022 campaign. Here are some takeaways from the opening series and a look at the key performers.
This piece references WPA - Win Probability Added. Per MLB's definition, WPA quantifies the percent change in a team's chances of winning from one event to the next. It does so by measuring the importance of a given plate appearance in the context of the game. For instance: a homer in a one-run game is worth more than a homer in a blowout.
The WPA metrics noted below are from Fangraphs.
Starting Pitching
Kyle Gibson was outstanding on Saturday, tossing seven scoreless innings while collecting ten strikeouts as the Phillies beat Oakland, 4-2. Gibson's WPA of 0.32 was the highest for a Phils pitcher over the weekend.
Aaron Nola and Zach Eflin weren't too bad either. Nola was solid through six before running into trouble again with the long ball in the seventh, and Eflin worked four scoreless frames in his first regular-season contest since last July.
Gibson, Nola, and Eflin combined to go 2-0 with a 2.12 ERA over the opening series while collecting 20 strikeouts and issuing just two walks. The 0.59 WHIP was the second-best from a starting trio, bested only by the Mets' mark of 0.57.
Offensive Notes
Rhys Hoskins was the most valuable Phillie over the weekend, posting a 0.22 WPA. He went 4-for-9 with a homer, three runs scored, and three RBIs.
Matt Vierling posted the lowest WPA over the weekend at -0.15. He finished 0-for-10, though he hit some balls hard and collected an RBI with a sacrifice fly on Friday.
Nick Castellanos struck out five times in 12 at-bats, but his two-run homer in the first inning on Saturday gave the Phillies a 2-0 lead and, per WPA, was the most important hit of the weekend (.207).
Bullpen Notes
Seranthony Dominguez tossed an inning in Friday's opener, marking his first action since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2019. He induced two groundouts and a flyout in one inning of work.
Bailey Falter had a rough go of things on Sunday in relief, surrendering two runs on four hits while facing just 11 batters.
The Phillies bullpen collected 11 strikeouts and walked just two.
Final Thoughts
The Phillies did what they should have against an Athletics club in transition; winning two of three at home to open the season is a fair result. The defense looked wobbly at times, and the club used the long ball, and that's the recipe I expect the Phillies to stick with this season.
