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Phillies-Giants: Five things to watch for during the series

By George Stockburger

Jun 7, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; The Philadelphia Phillies stretch on the field during warm ups before a game against the San Francisco Giants at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 7, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; The Philadelphia Phillies stretch on the field during warm ups before a game against the San Francisco Giants at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 12, 2017; Clearwater, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ben Lively (72) pitches in the fourth inning of the spring training game against the Boston Red Sox at Spectrum Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 12, 2017; Clearwater, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ben Lively (72) pitches in the fourth inning of the spring training game against the Boston Red Sox at Spectrum Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports /

Another pitcher hit the disabled list as Vince Velasquez suffered an elbow flexor strain in his start Wednesday. The team called up Ricardo Pinto to fill Velasquez’s spot on the roster, but it seems like he is going to stay in the bullpen.

Someone has to take Velasquez’s spot in the rotation when his next scheduled start rolls around Saturday. Zach Eflin just went back down to Triple-A after a rough outing Sunday and is slated to start for the IronPigs Friday night.

Nick Pivetta’s next turn in the rotation does come on Saturday, but he is listed as Lehigh Valley’s probable starter for the night. He showed in his brief stint in the majors that he needs more time at Triple-A before he can come back.

That leaves Ben Lively open to make his major-league debut Saturday. His last start was last Saturday and he wasn’t on the mound Thursday for his next scheduled start. All signs are pointing towards Lively for the start.

Lively has been off to a solid start with the IronPigs with a 6-1 record, 2.40 ERA, and 0.94 WHIP in nine starts. The 25-year old has 45 strikeouts and seven walks in 56.1 innings this season. We will have to see if Lively can bring that success to the next level.

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