Gameday 3: Phillies vs. Rangers
Philadelphia Phillies (1-1) at Texas Rangers (1-1)
Starting Pitchers:
PHI: RHP Kyle Kendrick
vs.
TEX: LHP Robbie Ross
Time: 8:05, The Ballpark in Arlington
TV: The Comcast Network, home of Phillies Nation TV. Broadcast nationally on ESPN 2.
Weather: Cloudy, 80, 18 MPH wind
Media: Twitter and Facebook
A Note for Tonight:
Kyle Kendrick will toe the rubber as the Phillies face a second lefty reliever-turned-Opening-Series starter in Robbie Ross. Ross, 24, has 123 relief appearances over 2012 and 2013 for the Rangers but does not have a start to his name in the Majors versus 68 minor league starts. Ross throws mostly a 92 MPH fastball and a 85 MPH slider and has a pretty interesting reverse platoon split for his MLB career: .276/.347/.425 against lefties but .223/.292/.282 against righties.
Kendrick has faced current Rangers in just 39 plate appearances but Shin-Soo Choo, Donnie Murphy, and Prince Fielder have all taken Kendrick yard for a team that has hit a combined .344/.405/.781 against him. Kendrick will have to keep lefties Choo and Fielder in the ballpark if the Phillies are to have any shot at winning the opening series.
Lineup:
Revere CF / Ruiz C / Utley 2B / Howard DH / Byrd RF / Brown LF / Mayberry 1B / Asche 3B / Nix SS
