Game Notes: Colorado at Philadelphia - 5/23/17

Game Notes are our occasional summary/commentary on a particular recent MLB contest

May has been a month of struggles for the Phillies. The game of inches has not been kind to them this month, as their 4-15 record portends. As the month winds its way towards its conclusion they have to try and figure things out in the presence of one of the hottest teams in baseball. The Colorado Rockies enter the ballpark with a May record of 13-7 and an offense averaging over five runs per contest. With the Phillies struggling to develop any kind of traction they hand the ball once again to young right-hander Zach Eflin. Eflin is the type of pitcher that when he is right can be an absolute joy to watch. There is a simple poignancy to the way he goes about his business. The tall, lanky Florida native works quickly, rocking into an almost effortless delivery that can add life to his 92-95 MPH fastball. When his four-seam is right it can be exciting to watch as runs away from left-handed hitters and shears off bats. But Eflin is still very much learning on the job, having just turned 23 and with only seventeen big league starts to his name. His counterpart this evening is another touted arm named German Marquez. Marquez himself is less than ten starts into his Major League career, but those ten starts reveal a world of potential. His fastball is his calling card, touching speeds of 96-98 MPH, and delivered with a motion that is very much the opposite of Eflin’s. So the scene is set for two possible storylines on a Tuesday night in South Philadelphia: whether or not the Phillies bats can stand toe-to-toe with the mighty Rockies, and which of the two young righties will be the first to falter.
​ 

Read More