Phillies announce pitching plan for wild card opener: ‘See where it goes’
Phillies Nation • • sports
Key Points:
- The Phillies will start Jesús Luzardo in Game 1 of the wild card series as an opener, despite his limited recent pitching and uncertainty about how long he can last.
- Manager Don Mattingly described the game plan as a “bullpen game,” reflecting the team's reliance on multiple pitchers due to a less reliable bullpen compared to previous years.
- Luzardo threw only four pitches in the playoff-clinching game, raising questions about his readiness, though he expressed confidence in pitching a full game if needed.
- Andrew Painter is expected to follow Luzardo and possibly pitch multiple innings, but the Phillies have yet to finalize a detailed pitching script for the game.
- The Phillies acknowledge the challenge of facing elite starter Chris Sale in Game 1 and hope that the uncertainty around Luzardo’s role might work to their advantage.
