The Phillies are headed into Game 1 of the Wild Card round with a plan that carries both danger and upside.
After clinching a postseason berth Sunday with a win over the Tampa Bay Rays, Philadelphia found itself without a clear starter for the opener. Zack Wheeler took the ball in that game, and with Cristopher Sanchez and Aaron Nola not options, the Phillies are turning to a different look against the Braves.
According to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, Jesus Luzardo will open Game 1, with Andrew Painter waiting in the bullpen.
"Jesus Luzardo will be an opener for the Phillies in Game 1. Andrew Painter will be in the bullpen," Zolecki reports.
Luzardo is the kind of arm the Phillies want at the front of a game. He’s expected to receive Cy Young votes this season, and he gives them the best chance to handle Atlanta’s first wave of hitters. But there’s real caution here, too, because he is fresh off the injured list.
That leaves Philadelphia in a delicate spot. Luzardo could work just the first inning, or he might be stretched into another inning or two if he’s efficient and the pitch count stays manageable. Either way, the Phillies are clearly not treating this like a normal start.
Painter is the other piece of the puzzle. He has worked out of the bullpen before this season, though that came because an ailment kept him from starting. In the postseason, he could be used in a bulk role, potentially entering in the second inning and taking on the middle and back half of the Braves’ lineup.
It’s an unusual setup, and one with plenty of risk attached. Luzardo is only in his second outing since coming off the IL, and Painter is being asked to fill a role that hasn’t been his standard one for most of the year.
Still, the payoff is obvious if it clicks. If Luzardo and Painter can piece together the first five innings or so, the Phillies may have found a way to get through Game 1 with their best available combination.
In Other News...
Braves Catch A Break As Phillies Lose One Of Their Few Reliable Bats
The Phillies entered the Wild Card Series already juggling their pitching plan, with manager Don Mattingly saying Jesus Luzardo will start Game 1 but with a limited pitch count. The more notable shift for Atlanta, though, is on the lineup side, where Philadelphia will be without Luis Arraez after an ankle injury knocked him off the roster, opening the door for Otto Kemp to take his place.
Arraez was one of the few steady bats the Phillies had after being acquired at the trade deadline, and losing him trims some of the contact and on-base stability they were hoping to bring into October. For the Braves, it is a small bit of breathing room in a matchup that figures to be tight from the start, even if the bigger questions still center on how Philadelphia manages the rest of its roster around a shortened pitching leash. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Still Face Two Crucial Roster Calls Before Phillies Series
With the Phillies series approaching, the Braves are still sorting out how they want their Wild Card roster to look, and a projected lineup has already started to take shape around the usual core. Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy figure to handle catcher duties, while Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies remain fixtures on the infield and Michael Harris II plus Ronald Acua Jr. anchor the outfield mix, giving Atlanta a familiar backbone as the games get closer.
The bigger question is how the club rounds out the rest of the group, especially on the pitching side, where roster spots can swing quickly based on health and availability. The current forecast includes a full bullpen and rotation blend built from educated guesses rather than confirmed decisions, which leaves Atlanta with at least a little suspense before the series begins. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Wild Card Decision Just Changed A Potential Braves Threat
The Phillies trade-deadline pickup of Luis Arraez had looked like another wrinkle for Atlanta to sort through in a hurry, but the Wild Card round picture shifted once he went down with an ankle injury late in the season. Arraez will not be on Philadelphias roster for the NL Wild Card series against the Braves, which trims one of the more contact-heavy bats the Phillies could have brought to the matchup.
Otto Kemp has been added in Arraezs place, and Philadelphia is also carrying three catchers because injuries have thinned other parts of the roster. Arraezs postseason status is still unresolved beyond the opener, with a return to the Phillies lineup still possible if they advance to the NLDS, leaving Atlanta to prepare for a different version of the opponent while the bigger question remains hanging in the background. [Read more 🡒]