Phillies starting pitcher Cole Hamels scratched due to illness, Tyler Cloyd to make debut
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Phillies starting pitcher Cole Hamels scratched due to illness, Tyler Cloyd to make debut
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
Tyler Cloyd, named the International League's best pitcher a day ago, will make his major-league debut Wednesday only because of an illness to Cole Hamels.
The Phillies announced Hamels will not start as scheduled because of a gastrointestinal illness. Replacing him is Cloyd, who was slated to pitch at triple-A Lehigh Valley. Instead, he will face the New York Mets.
Cloyd, 12-1 with a 2.35 ERA, has become a cause celebre for a fan base craving any sort of drama in the final weeks of a lost season. While posting gaudy numbers in the minors, his rise has been met with skepticism by many scouts because Cloyd rarely throws harder than 90 m.p.h.
Cloyd's strikeout numbers have dropped considerably in 2012 even as his success multiplies. That suggests a great deal of luck. The theory will be tested at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday.
An 18th-round pick in 2008, Cloyd was hardly on the radar screen entering the season. The 25-year-old righty was supposed to pitch for double-A Reading but started opening day for Lehigh Valley because of a last-minute suspension to another pitcher.
All he did was toss six no-hit innings with eight strikeouts.
It was the beginning of a charmed season for Cloyd, who finally has a chance to prove his doubters wrong.
Have a question? Send it to Matt Gelb's Mailbag.
I saw the flash news on the Reading Phis FB page but I thought it was because of Worley.— EL Zorro
So Hamels has a case of the sh**s and Cloyd will start in his place? If Cloyd gets lit up, this should put to rest the notion that he should be pitching at this level. MLB scouts usually know the deal when it comes to a pitcher of this type. Slow fastball but decent command. I guess he can do no worse than Worley.- Why can't this kid be a better version of Kendrick or Worley? KK and Vance were lucky to be considered major league ready(not because of raw talent) and kk has made out a career in the big leagues(Vance well see). I like how i can now make assumptions based on your 1 start philosophy. Hoping Cloyd does well tonight just so i can say he's obviously better than Halladay, who has sucked for most of the year — The Pink Floyd
- exactly. no MLB scouts thought kendrink or worley would have any success either. they've both been good contributors on the back end of our rotation. there's only 1 way to find out and that's to let the kid pitch here. the season's over anyway. look forward to seeing what he's got.
- all is saved
seriously, glad we can see this play out now and not in march— WFChamps - Finally!— bdd5014
- Good, let's see what he's got and how it translates up here.— escapedcamden4monterey
- Luck is a combination of "hard work" and "opportunity". Tyler will be fine. What worries me is the guys behind him on the field.— Dull
- This comment has been deleted. — Dew Schbag
- @The Mighty One - Cloyd is 25 years old. Too old for Conlin to have any opinion on.
- After today's start, we'll see if Worely is shut down.— palmyra21
- It's about time.— PhightinPhil
- Some guys just know how to pitch, I'll take control over velocity any day.— rmg154
