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Jerad Eickhoff strong in his big-league debut as Phillies win

After early scare when a batted ball hit his hand, the young righthander delivered on the mound and at the plate.

MIAMI - The 12th pitch Jerad Eickhoff delivered in his major league debut - a 92-mph fastball he spotted on the outside of the plate - was ripped back his way by Marlins cleanup hitter Justin Bour.

The one-hopper deflected off Eickhoff's pitching hand and toward third baseman Andres Blanco. Pitching coach Bob McClure and the Phillies training staff made their way to the mound, where the rookie righthander's hand was examined before he attempted to throw a couple of warmup pitches.

This was not how Eickhoff, 25, acquired three weeks ago in the eight-player Cole Hamels trade, envisioned his big-league debut.

"It kind of stung me a little bit," he said. "Luckily it went away and I was fine."

Eickhoff retired the next three hitters, with the ball never leaving the infield in the inning, and he made an impressive first impression with his new team.

Eickoff threw six shutout innings - and drove in two runs, too - as the new-look Phillies rolled to a 7-1 win Friday night.

"It's surreal," Eickhoff said of collecting a win in his major league debut, with more than a dozen friends and family, including his parents, in attendance. "You grow up dreaming about this. It's - words can't describe it."

"So far," manager Pete Mackanin said, "that's a good trade."

When he took the mound at Marlins Park, Eickhoff became the fourth Phillies starting pitcher to make his major league debut in 2015, joining Aaron Nola, Adam Morgan and Severino Gonzalez. That ties a franchise record, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, for rookies making their debut in a single season since 1900. (The Phils also had four rookies make their first starts in 1996, 1986 and 1902).

Eickhoff's debut was the best yet among this year's rookie crop.

He held Miami to five hits in six innings, while striking out five and walking one. Eickhoff peppered Cameron Rupp's gloves with strikes, needing an economical 75 pitches (52 strikes) in his six innings.

"He came as advertised," Mackanin said. "We were told he likes to pound the strike zone with all of his pitches, and he showed he's able to do that. I liked his curveball and I really liked his slider."

The Phillies' shutout bid ended when Jeanmar Gomez, who took over for Eickhoff in the seventh, served up a solo home run to Derek Dietrich, the first batter he faced. Gomez got through the rest of the inning unscathed and was replaced with another newcomer in the next half inning: Miami native Darnell Sweeney, acquired on Wednesday night in the Chase Utley trade, struck out swinging in his pinch-hit appearance since joining the team.

The Phillies didn't need any more offense by then, though. They batted around in the fourth, when Blanco, Odubel Herrera and Ryan Howard strung together three straight hits to open the inning, and Eickhoff capped the rally with his first major league hit, a two-out, two-run single to leftfield.

Eickhoff is the first starting pitcher in the 133 years of Phillies history to record multiple RBI in his major league debut. He is also the first Phillies pitcher to record an RBI and collect a win in his MLB debut in 43 years (Dave Downs, Sept. 2, 1972).

Before Friday night, Eickhoff didn't have a hit since high school. Because he hadn't had a plate appearance since high school.

"That first time he went up to bunt, his feet were all screwed up," Mackanin joked.

After trading away four veterans in the last three weeks - Hamels, Utley, Jonathan Papelbon and Ben Revere - youth is being served on the Phillies' current roster. Eickhoff and Sweeney are two of the 11 players age 25 or younger on the 25-man roster.

"I think this is a better shot for me here," Sweeney, 24, said of reaching the big leagues this week with the Phillies after looking up all year and seeing a crowded group of players ahead of him in the Dodgers organization.

Sweeney arrived to his new team while it took batting practice a day earlier. Arriving with him were his wife and at least of dozen others, including his parents and his brother, who drove over from Orlando.

Sweeney was born in Hollywood, Fla., and grew up a Marlins fan. Two days earlier, he couldn't fathom making his major league debut in his hometown - he didn't know whether he'd be considered as a September call-up with the Dodgers.

"It's been a weird experience - a different experience, but I'm happy to go through the experience to get here," Sweeney said.

Before the game, Sweeney worked out at second and third base, but said he feels most comfortable at second and in centerfield. Mackanin said he'll attempt to work him into one of those positions in the next six weeks.

The youth movement for the Phillies is likely to continue next month, when rosters expand, but general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. doesn't think the front office will add too many bodies to an already-crowded young roster competing for playing time.

The Phillies are likely to add pitching, including another starter to transition to a six-man rotation to ease the workload on the three rookies in the rotation. Former first-round pick Jesse Biddle, 2-3 with a 5.91 ERA in his first seven starts at Triple A Lehigh Valley, doesn't appear to be an option.

"He hasn't performed well enough to be under consideration yet," Amaro said. "But we'll see. There is still time to make those decisions."

Amaro also said Double A catcher Andrew Knapp (.409 in 41 games since joining Reading) and outfielder Nick Williams (acquired in the Hamels trade and hitting .310 with 16 home runs this season) were "probably not" options either.

"Not enough playing time for those guys," Amaro said.

Friday night wasn't strictly about the young players. Howard, 35, the longest-tenured Phillies player and one of two who remain from the 2008 championship team, went 3-for-5 with two RBI and a hat trick of doubles in his first start in four games. It marked Howard's second career game with three doubles, and first since June 8, 2008.

"I kidded him: 'You don't hit home runs anymore, you're just a doubles guy?' " Mackanin said. " He had a nice night, swung the bat well."

Phillers

Cesar Jimenez was claimed off waivers by the Milwaukee Brewers. The 30-year-old lefthander was designated for assignment Thursday to clear a spot on the roster for Jerad Eickhoff. Jimenez had a 2.48 ERA in 38 appearances with the Phillies over the last three seasons. He spent of the season at Triple A Lehigh Valley, where he was 3-5 with a 3.61 ERA in 41 games . . . Cody Asche's ninth-inning pinch-hit home run on Thursday was the Phillies' major league-leading seventh pinch-hit homer of the season. It's the most for the Phillies since they finished with eight pinch-hit home runs in 2010 . . . Aaron Harang will try to avoid adding another loss to his major league-leading total of 14 tonight. He has an 8.40 ERA in 10 starts since the beginning of June. He's allowed 14 earned runs on 19 hits in his last two starts.

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