Key Takeaways from Phillies Home Opener

My key takeaways from yesterday’s Phillies game: 1. Aaron Nola looks very good. 2. The bullpen blows that kind of game last year. 3. Hoskins needs time to adjust. 4. Harper’s fly-out to left field is a home-run any other day. 5. Cutch looks healthy.

1.) Although he let up a 2-run home-run to Pablo Sandoval, Aaron Nola pitched very well yesterday. Nola finished the day with six strikeouts, zero base on balls, and only allowed six total hits in 6 and 1/3 innings pitched. If you are Joe Girardi, then it is hard to take your ace out of that game. The Phillies only had a 2-0 lead, and with the bullpen’s woes last year, I would not have trusted them either. Nola had command on all his pitches yesterday, and other than that one mistake on a two-seam fastball, he had a great day. 2.) Yesterday’s game is the type of game the bullpen blows last year. The Phillies offense set the tone early as they scored a run in the bottom half of the first inning, and then again in the third. Nola had a really nice performance, but it was the evident that the Girardi would have to go to the bullpen at some point. The combination of Archie Bradley, Jose Alvarado, Hector Neris, and Connor Brogdon proved to be a solid one. The addition of Bradley was a huge signing for the Phillies. He brings an energy out of the bullpen that the Phillies were lacking last season. On one of his pitches, Alvarado topped at 100 mph! Neris looked lights out. And Brogdon has definitely matured as a pitcher from last year. He came away with the win. 3.) Hoskins did have a double down the third base line, but his timing definitely looked a little bit off. It is going to take him some time to adjust. Although there are not many pitchers with a curveball as nasty as Max Fried’s, Hoskins looked like he was struggling with that pitch yesterday. With more at-bats, I expect Hoskins to regain his confidence and find his swing. 4.) If it was not for the wind, Harper would have had his first home-run of the season. He sat on a curveball and drove it to the opposite field. A good sign for the Phillies, and Bryce Harper. Hopefully, Bryce can continue to push off-speed pitches to the opposite field. He looked very comfortable in the batter’s box with two strikes on him. I anticipate big things out of Bryce this season. 5.) Andrew McCutchen finally looks healthy. Last year’s version of Cutch does not tag up on a pop-fly like the one in the first inning. I do not expect Cutch to play all 162 games, but if he can stay healthy, then the Phillies will have success. Cutch provides a veteran presence that the Phillies need in order to make a nice run this season.

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