Five takeaways from Phillies opening series against Braves

Gabe Kapler’s Managerial Style

Probably the biggest thing Phillies fans are looking at is how Gabe Kapler is managing this club. Kapler got criticism before the first game even started when he opted to leave star center fielder Odubel Herrera out of the Opening Day lineup. He claimed the decision was based on matchups, something that would not really matter as Aaron Altherr and Nick Williams would combine to go 1-7 with three strikeouts.

Then, in a 5-0 game, he decided to pull a cruising Aaron Nola after only 5.1 innings. He handed the ball to an injured bullpen which allowed seven runs in just three and a third to blow an Opening Day lead.

Kapler set a record for his number of pitchers used in the first two games of the season. The Phillies have already used 21 pitchers in their first three games. It appears to that Kapler will manage all 162 games as if it was game seven of the World Series. It seems nearly impossible that Kapler can continue this style over a season-long span. If he chooses to try, his tenure in Philly could be a lot shorter than expected.