There is much intrigue surrounding Saturday night's Phillies game in San Diego.
Can the Phils bounce back from being shut out for the seventh time this season?
How will starting pitcher Zach Eflin fare?
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And will Mark Appel — yes, Mark Appel — get into the game?
Aaron Nola continued his recent string of dominance Friday night only to come out on the wrong end of a rather cruel 1-0 loss to the Padres. It was cruel because Nola struck out 10 batters over seven innings and received no run support. It was doubly cruel because the only run of the game scored when Nola’s older brother, Padres’ catcher Austin, stroked an RBI hit in the sixth inning. Austin Nola smacked his brother's 0-2 fastball to right field to score Eric Hosmer, who had doubled.
Tough way to lose a game. Austin gets bragging rights at the Nola Thanksgiving dinner table.
Phillies bats were quiet against the Padres. The team produced just five singles and left 10 men on base while going 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position. Lefty MacKenzie Gore pitched five shutout innings for the Padres and the bullpen did the rest.
MLB
Despite riding the bats to a 16-6 record so far this month, the Phils have had a lot of nights this season where the offense completely disappears. The Phils have been shut out seven times and held to one run seven other times in their 72 games this season. San Diego has shut out the Phils three times in five games this season.
The Phils started off this road trip by winning four of five in Washington, followed by two losses in Texas. They have split the first two in San Diego.
There’s lots to watch in Saturday night’s game, even beyond whether the Phillies’ offense will wake up against lefty Blake Snell.
Eflin will make the start for the Phillies. He has been forced to leave each of his last two starts, after six and two innings, respectively, because of soreness in his right knee. Eflin, who had the knee surgically repaired in September, passed all his checks this week and has been cleared to pitch. The starting rotation is a strength for the Phillies, but it is thin, going just five deep, so good health from all five pitchers is a must.
Also Saturday night, Appel will join the club, taking the place of reliever Connor Brogdon, who was placed on the Covid injured list.
Appel, 30, is the former Stanford right-hander who was twice picked in the first round of the draft. He went eighth overall to the Pirates in 2012 (did not sign) and first overall to the Astros in 2013. Appel was traded to the Phillies, along with Vince Velasquez and others, in December 2015. He struggled with injuries and control, stepped away from the game for three years and came back in 2021.
Appel has spent this season pitching out of the bullpen at Triple A Lehigh Valley. In 28 innings, he had a 1.61 ERA, 24 strikeouts and eight walks. He allowed 18 hits. That performance has been rewarded with his first trip to the majors and that eliminates him from the short and inauspicious list of former No. 1 overall picks not to make it to the big leagues. The list now includes just pitcher Brien Taylor (1991 Yankees) and catcher Steve Chilcott (1966 Mets).
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