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Top Takeaways From Phillies Opening Series

The first series of the Philadelphia Phillies 2022 season is over. What were the takeaways from the three game set vs. Oakland?

Author:
Lauren Amour
Apr 10, 2022 8:04 PM EDT

Following the signings of two of the biggest free agent sluggers on the market in Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos, the narrative for the Philadelphia Phillies' 2022 season changed drastically.

Expectations increased heavily, especially since prior to the initial signing of Schwarber on March 16, all signs pointed toward the team running their offense back for another year.

Spring training exemplified just how exciting this new-look Philadelphia lineup could be, with Schwarber, Castellanos, Bryce Harper, Rhys Hoskins, and J.T. Realmuto all having productive springs at the plate. Of course, none of that really matters until the regular season.

The Phillies opened their season against the Oakland Athletics at Citizens Bank Park on Friday, April 8 for a three-game series.

So, what were the takeaways from the Phillies' first series of the 2022 season? Let's break it down:

The Lineup

The Phillies' lineup showed what they are capable of in the first two games of the series. Schwarber began his Phillies career with a lead-off home run, followed by a curtain call; It was an electric moment for the Citizens Bank Park crowd.

Excluding Matt Vierling, every Phillie recorded a hit on Opening Day, which included the first hit and RBI of Bryson Stott's Major League career. The lineup combined for nine runs on 11 hits, picking up their first win of the season.

On Saturday, April 9, the Philadelphia offense was quieter than the day before, but Castellanos hit his first home run as a Phillie, a two-run blast off of former Phillie Cole Irvin in the first inning. The offense was largely shut down until the sixth inning when Hoskins and Segura went back-to-back with solo homers. The Phillies won the game, 4-2.

The final game of the three-game set was when it got ugly. The offense disappeared, scoring only one run on three hits. The lone run the Phillies scored was a Segura solo shot in the ninth off of Athletics' closer Lou Trivino to avoid the shut out. Suddenly, this lineup didn't look like all it was cracked up to be.

The good news is that it's only the third game of the season, with 159 games left to play. The lineup was simply unable to get anything going offensively, but these types of losses are bound to happen in such a long season.

The Starting Rotation

Aaron Nola was given the ball for his fifth consecutive Opening Day start on Friday, and like most Nola starts, he was great—until he hit a wall in his final inning—allowing a three-run home run to Seth Brown in the seventh.

Prior to the home run that prompted him being lifted from the game, Nola cruised through a depleted A's lineup. He allowed just one run on one hit through six innings, and struck out seven. All four runs allowed by Nola were attributed to the long ball, something he continues to struggle with.

Overall, it was fairly indicative of what we may see from him this season, but let's hope as the months go on, he can avoid completely shutting down as it gets deeper into the game.

Kyle Gibson made his 2022 debut on April 9, and delivered a spectacular performance. The 34-year-old surrendered only two hits through seven innings, while allowing no runs, no walks, and striking out 10 batters. It was by far the best outing Gibson's had in red pinstripes thus far.

While most of Gibson's starts probably won't be this impressive, the beauty of it is that it displays why this Phillies' rotation is ranked so highly—your fifth starter is capable of a performance like that. Most teams cannot say the same.

Finally, Zach Eflin returned to the mound for his first regular season start since July 2021. While still on a short leash, he only pitched four innings and threw 68 pitches. It was a productive start for him, though, he was able to get himself out of some jams and even flash some leather. He allowed no runs on two hits, walked a couple, and struck out three as he was handed the no decision. As he works up his pitch count, Eflin is due to have a big year this year.

The Bullpen

Ah, the Phillies' bullpen. It's difficult to say what the expectations were for the bullpen heading into this season, because the bullpens of the past have lowered expectations so much that the most you're hoping for is that they're average.

And quite frankly, they met that criteria in this series. Out of the bullpen, we saw all three newcomers in Jeurys Familia, Brad Hand, and Corey Knebel. Familia made his Phillies debut on Opening Day, allowing one run to score in 0.2 innings that was charged to Nola, and picked up a strikeout. After Familia got into a jam, Hand was brought in for 0.1 innings, and also allowed a hit and picked up a K.

Seranthony Domínguez returned to the mound in Philadelphia for the first time since 2019, and needed just seven pitches to escape the eighth. Although not a save situation, Knebel, the presumed Phillies closer, came in for the ninth on Opening Day. His stuff was electric, and he struck out two in the inning to secure the win.

Knebel was brought in on Saturday as well, this time in a save situation. Although he allowed a run to score, he was able to pick up his first save in a Phillies' uniform. Jose Alvarado pitched the eighth that day, and in typical fashion, allowed a run to cross the plate on two hits. It was Alvarado's first appearance of the 2022 season, and although he was throwing heat, he still struggled with the same issues as last season.

In relief of Eflin on Sunday, Bailey Falter pitched 2.1 innings. He pitched a scoreless fifth, but that was immediately followed by a Brown RBI single in the sixth to make it 1-0. Things got worse for Falter in the seventh when he surrendered a solo home run to Billy McKinney. He was eventually taken out for Connor Brogdon, who looked decent, picking up a strikeout and keeping it a two-run game.

Damon Jones, who had a successful spring, pitched the final two innings of the day. He pitched a scoreless eighth, but allowed two runs to cross the plate in the ninth, while striking out two in the outing.

As stated, the bullpen looked exactly as they were expected to: average. But that's okay, an average bullpen with an above-average lineup can still do a lot of damage. Sometimes they'll hit a wall like they did on Sunday, but it's better to get it out of the way now than in September.

The upcoming three-game series against the New York Mets beginning on Monday will be a great test of what this Phillies offense, starting rotation, and bullpen are truly capable of. The Phillies lineup will have to compete with an equally as threatening Mets' lineup, and the rotation—with Ranger Suárez, Zack Wheeler, and Aaron Nola scheduled to pitch—and bullpen will have to keep them at bay.