SAN FRANCISCO — Connor Brogdon’s favorite thing he’s done in his baseball career is somewhat easy to guess: pitching in the World Series last fall.
His second favorite will take place on Monday night.
Brogdon will be the Phillies’ opener in the series opener against the San Francisco Giants. It won’t be the first start of his career, but it’ll be the most special: He’ll make it at Oracle Park, where Brogdon regularly attended games while growing up in Clovis, Calif.
“I think it’s probably the top moment so far of my — well, maybe not quite, ‘cause the World Series — but second top moment in my baseball career,” Brogdon told Phillies Nation approximately two-and-a-half hours before Monday’s first pitch. His parents, as well as more family and a few friends, will be on hand for the occasion.
Brogdon grew up a hybrid Giants and Minnesota Twins fan: Giants due to proximity, Twins because his dad is from Minnesota. He’d make the nearly-four-hour drive to the waterfront stadium — Pacific Bell Park, SBC Park or AT&T Park, as the naming went those days — regularly, especially when the Twins were in town.
“This is for sure my favorite stadium,” Brogdon said. “I’ve been to a ton of games here, and yeah — it’s really exciting.”
Phillies manager Rob Thomson didn’t identify a specific number of innings or outs for Brogdon to take down before Bailey Falter takes over, but ideally, it won’t be a one-inning appearance. If he gets any further, it would be the sixth time in 19 games this season he’s recorded at least four outs.
Thomson has utilized him as a multi-inning reliever far more often in 2023, after the 6-foot-6 righty threw more than an inning just three times last season. Brodgon said he suspected his role might transform slightly once the Phillies acquired Gregory Soto and Craig Kimbrel in the offseason; so far, he appears to be right — as further evidenced by Monday’s assignment.
And he’s handled that new role quite well. Brogdon has thrown nine shutout innings across his five four-plus-out appearances this season, allowing just five hits and one walk while striking out nine.
“Obviously it’s a little bit different, being a quote-unquote ‘long guy’ now,” Brogdon said. “I just know that I might be called upon a little bit earlier … It hasn’t been too big of an adjustment. Just kinda, I guess, trying to be prepared a little bit earlier in the game now and knowing that I can get asked to go back out for a second inning.”
There’s another reason he’s been asked to do that with regularity. Brogdon might not have the flashiest name or stuff in a bullpen that features Kimbrel, Soto, José Alvarado and Seranthony Domínguez, but he’s quietly transformed into one of the Phillies’ more reliable relief arms through the season’s quarter mark.
His campaign got off to a rocky start. His Opening Day outing began with a run-scoring passed ball and two-run single in that doomed fourth inning in Texas, then continued with a two-run homer the following inning before he was pulled. “Obviously not an ideal start to the season,” Brogdon said. “I just tried to flush that.”
Flush it, he did. His 18.00 ERA has since dropped to 2.61, on the strength of a 1.83 figure since that season debut. His 20 ⅔ innings are the most in the Phillies’ bullpen (not counting Matt Strahm, who recently migrated from the rotation), and his ERA bests all of those aforementioned high-leverage arms apart from Alvarado.
“I think I had a pretty at least decent spring, so just kinda tried to build off that,” Brogdon said. “So far it’s been relatively successful. Still had some hiccups, but just trying to attack the zone, walk less guys and just be more competitive in the strike zone.”
He’ll have a chance on Monday to do those three things with a little extra meaning on top.
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