Gameday: Phillies (0-2) at Reds (2-0), April 7
Freddy Galvis, image- Jay Floyd
Starting pitchers: RHP Charlie Morton vs. RHP Robert Stephenson
Time: 12:40pm
Broadcast: TV – CSN; radio – 94.1 FM WIP
Weather: 46 degrees, rain shower
Media: Twitter and Facebook
Lineup: Galvis SS/Herrera CF/Franco 3B/Howard 1B/Blanco 2B/Hunter LF/Ruiz C/Bourjos RF/Morton P
Notes for today:
In 17 career starts against the Reds, Morton has a 6-7 record with a 4.04 ERA along with two complete games. Morton has a 4-2 record with a 3.83 ERA in nine career starts at Great American Ballpark.
The 23-year-old Stephenson will be making his big league debut. In 25 combined starts at Double-A and Triple-A last year, Stephenson, who was the Reds’ 1st round pick in 2011, posted an 8-11 record along with a 3.83 ERA.
Batting out of the lead-off spot last season, switch-hitting shortstop Freddy Galvis went 16-for-65 (.246 avg) with 0 extra-base hits and nine RBI. Galvis is a .179 hitter in 11 career games against the Reds.
Andres Blanco has a .295 batting average in 11 career games against the Reds. The switch-hitter batted .297 with five home runs and 16 RBI in 54 games following the all-star break last season.
Reds outfielder Billy Hamilton is a .167 hitter with a home runs, six RBI and six stolen bases in 12 career games against the Phillies. Hamilton will be out of Cincinnati’s lineup on Thursday.
Second baseman Brandon Phillips will miss his second straight game for the Reds due to the flu.
It has only been a pair of games thus far, but the Phillies’ bullpen’s 18.90 ERA is worst in the majors.
Your Gameday Beer: Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery (Athens, Ohio, near Ohio University) is regularly cited among the top breweries and brewpubs in Ohio, and for good reason – they constantly experiment with outrageous styles while keeping a few low-ABV beers on tap to get folks hooked. One of those beers is its Firefly Amber Ale, a standard amber ale at 4.5% ABV, easy drinking and very inviting. This is the beer for today, as we have an early start (12:40 p.m.) on a weekday. Go with an amber, something light; don’t go crazy. Hopefully the offense does go crazy, however, and nets us that first win.
