Joe Girardi on Monday night will return to Yankee Stadium for the first time since he managed the team that plays in that ballpark, but there won’t be a lot of time for sentimentality.
Girardi’s new club, the Phillies, will play their first regular-season game Friday night. Monday night’s trip to the Bronx will be the Phillies’ final exhibition tune-up before taking on the Miami Marlins in the opener at Citizens Bank Park.
The Phillies beat the Washington Nationals in exhibition play Saturday night and lost to the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday night. The results don’t matter in these games, but Girardi will be looking for good execution from his players, in the field, in the batter’s box and on the mound.
You can watch the game at 6 p.m. on NBC Sports Philadelphia or stream it live online.
Speaking of the mound, Vince Velasquez will make Monday night’s start against Yankees’ right-hander Deivi Garcia.
While no one with the Phillies has confirmed it, giving Velasquez the ball Monday night is tacit confirmation that he has won a spot in the starting rotation.
"I don't think you can ignore what he's doing," Girardi said after Velasquez' last outing.
MLB
On a normal five-day schedule, Vinny Velo lines up to pitch the third game of the regular season Sunday against the Miami Marlins at home. Jake Arrieta would line up to pitch the fourth game of the regular season at Yankee Stadium the day after.
Aaron Nola will start the opener Friday night, but the rotation after that is in flux.
On paper, Zack Wheeler would start Game 2 of the regular season on Saturday, but he and his wife are expecting their first child in the coming days, so his availability could change. The Phillies might have to do some shuffling to accommodate Wheeler and it’s also unclear if Zach Eflin, who had been slowed by a sore back, will be ready for his first turn. So Nick Pivetta, or someone else, could be in play for a start the first time through the rotation. Rookie Spencer Howard is expected to pitch in the rotation, but probably not until the second week, at the earliest, because of service-time concerns.
It’ll all work out.
“We have a lot of things we could do if we have to,” Girardi said of the starting pitching puzzle.
After Monday night’s exhibition game, the Phillies will close out summer camp with intrasquad games on Tuesday and Wednesday. Arrieta would throw on Wednesday, Girardi said. Thursday will be a light day with Eflin throwing a simulated game which would help determine his readiness.
Girardi experimented with his batting order on Sunday night. Andrew McCutchen hit leadoff in front of Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, Jay Bruce, Rhys Hoskins, Didi Gregorius, Jean Segura, Scott Kingery and Adam Haseley.
Girardi will continue to experiment with the lineup in these final few days, maybe even beyond.
“I’ll play with a few more things the last few days to try to get some consistency,” he said. “I’d like some consistency in the lineup.”
In a 60-game sprint, it’s vital that the Phillies’ lineup comes out clicking. The Phillies have the stacked Yankees on their schedule four times in the first seven games, but they also have weaker clubs in Miami, Baltimore and Toronto on the schedule in 12 of the first 20 so the schedule could be ripe for a much-needed fast start — if the Phillies execute and play well.
Three regulars — McCutchen, Harper and Bruce — will not make the trip to New York on Monday night. They will work out in Philadelphia.
Other than that, Girardi will take to New York a group of regular players that will include Realmuto, Gregorius, Segura, Hoskins, Kingery, Haseley and Roman Quinn, who is healthy after being hit by a pitch on the wrist Saturday night. Kingery will be the designated hitter, Girardi said.
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