Morning Phil Up – 5/2/2014 – Philadelphia Phillies have aces lined up to face the Washington Nationals
By Mike Lacy
Cliff Lee. Image Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Today’s Game
Washington Nationals (16-12) at Philadelphia Phillies (13-13)
Game time: 7:05 PM
TV: CSN
Starting pitchers: Stephen Strasburg (2-2) vs. Cliff Lee (3-2)
Preview
After Wednesday’s rain out and Thursday’s scheduled off day, the Phillies are well rested heading into their series against the Washington Nationals. They’ve taken advantage of the time off by shuffling their starting rotation so that their top three starting pitchers will take the mound during the series. First up is Cliff Lee who is coming off a surprisingly poor start against the Diamondbacks. He’ll be followed by A.J. Burnett and Cole Hamels.
The Nationals have some pretty good starters going as well. Tonight’s starter will be Stephen Strasburg. The one-time phenom has yet to live up to the immense hype with which he entered the league, but he’s still a pretty imposing presence on the mound. In his last start, he pitched seven scoreless innings against the Padres.
Link of Interest
Phillies Nation – Exploring “5 for 1” 31 years later
In 1992, the Phillies traded five players to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Von Hayes. Despite having some good seasons for the Phillies, Hayes never quite clicked with Phillies fans. Most would likely consider the trade to be a failure, mostly due to the inclusion of future All-Star Julio Franco. But if you analyze the trade using WAR, an argument could be made that the Phillies did indeed get the best of the deal.
Tweet of Importance
Okay, Phillies. All the hopes of the city lie with you now. No pressure or anything.