Phillies Lose Series Finale to Reds, 7-4: Four Observations
By John Town
Hey, That New Guy Can Hit
Overshadowed by the heart-warming success story of Brock Stassi was the Phillies adding Daniel Nava to their 25-man roster. Nava battled with Chris Coghlan for a spot on the roster, but Stassi nearly eliminated the both of them. Instead, the team sent Jesmuel Valentin to Triple-A and put Stassi and Nava on the major-league roster.
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Stassi, Nava, and Andrew Knapp all got their first major-league starts with manager Pete Mackanin wanting to see everyone get some playing time. Nava started in left for Howie Kendrick and batted in the two-hole.
While Stassi and Knapp have yet to collect their first hits as Phillies, Nava did it in grand fashion. He knocked a solo home run in the first inning, then came back and hit another in the third, driving in two.
Nava also made a nice play late in the game, tossing out Zack Cozart at third base for the force out after he hesitated on a line drive.
Nava’s line for the season currently stands as such: .667/.750/2.667, two home runs, three RBI, and a 747 wRC+. It’s safe to say those numbers will fall back to earth, but it’s a great start for the guy who is on his fifth team in three seasons.
Nava told Ryan Lawrence of Philly Voice that Thursday was a great way to start the season after working so hard this offseason to get ready for the season:
"“It makes a lot of the work that I did this offseason, a little more rewarding, a little sweeter,” he said. “That’s a good incentive to keep doing what I’ve been doing…It’s rewarding to contribute. That’s for sure.”"