The Phillies are set to debut their newly revealed City Connect uniform this Friday as they face the Pirates at Citizens Bank Park.
Philadelphia kicked off the series with a convincing 5-1 victory in the opener on Thursday, featuring impressive home runs from Alec Bohm, Brandon Marsh, and Bryson Stott.
Left-handed pitcher Cristopher Sanchez will take the mound for the Phillies, aiming to bounce back from his last start where he gave up three runs on six hits over 4 1/3 innings. So far this season, opponents are hitting .289 against him.
On the other side, the Pirates will rely on former Phillie Bailey Falter, who delivered an outstanding performance in his recent outing, pitching six scoreless innings against Baltimore.
In other news, there are updates on the rehab progress of Taijuan Walker and Orion Kerkering. Walker, recovering from a shoulder injury, had a solid outing with Single-A Clearwater, allowing two earned runs on two hits across four innings while striking out four. He is expected to make a few more rehab appearances before returning in early May, though his fastball velocity is currently slightly below his average from last year.
Meanwhile, Kerkering, dealing with a right forearm strain, has been progressing well in his rehab stints. He pitched a clean ninth inning in his recent appearance, adding to his impressive rehab stats with a 1-0 record and no earned runs allowed. With his potential activation on Sunday, the Phillies will need to make room on their roster.
Friday's Lineup
- Schwarber, DH
- Turner, SS
- Harper, 1B
- Realmuto, C
- Bohm, 3B
- Marsh, CF
- Castellanos, RF
- Stott, 2B
- Merrifield, LF
