Philadelphia Phillies vs. Texas Rangers Game Day: April 1, 2014

Mar 27, 2014; Clearwater, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher A.J. Burnett (34) throws a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays at Bright House Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

After defeating the Rangers 14-10 on Opening Day, the Phillies will attempt to go 2-0 for the first time since 2011 when the two teams square off again on Tuesday night.

Game Day Info

Philadelphia Phillies (1-0) vs. Texas Rangers (0-1)

Time and Location: 8:05 PM (Eastern) at Globe Life Park, Arlington, TX

Scheduled Starters: A. J. Burnett (0-0) vs. Martin Perez (0-0)

TV: TCN

Radio: 1210 WPHT

Preview

The Phillies’ Opening Day output of 14 runs was quite impressive. Unfortunately, none of those runs will carry over to today’s game. The Phillies will need to continue to hit if they want to improve to 2-0. It would also help if they could continue to show good patience at the plate. They aren’t known for their batting eye, but they were able to walk five times.

The Phillies also hope that their pitching performs a little better. Cliff Lee had a rare awful start, and the relievers – most notably B.J. Rosenberg had some issues with control.

The Rangers will send lefty Martin Perez to the mound, which means that John Mayberry, Jr. will likely be in the lineup. Mayberry entered Monday’s game as a pinch hitter and supplied a key double.

Link of Interest

Section 215 – Projecting the Phillies starting pitchers numbers

How are the Phillies starting pitchers going to fare in 2014? It appears to be a bit of a mixed bag. Cliff Lee should have a typically strong season, and A. J. Burnett should prove to be a solid addition. The outlook appears to be much less bright for Roberto Hernandez who might not make it through the season. The real wild card is Cole Hamels. How quickly can he return and how effective will he be when he does?

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