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Vince Velasquez gets first start tonight against Nationals | Extra Innings

The Phillies right-hander did pitch a perfect ninth inning of relief and strike out two in the Phillies’ 8-2 win over the Nationals last week.

Vince Velasquez will make his first start of the season.
Vince Velasquez will make his first start of the season.Read moreJOSE F. MORENO / Staff Photographer

The Phillies managed only four runs on 11 hits during their Saturday-Sunday games against the Minnesota Twins, but thanks to Zach Eflin’s pitching performance and a two-run home run from Rhys Hoskins in the sixth inning of the finale, they managed to split those games and claim a series victory. The offense had provided double-digit runs in a wet 10-4 win Friday.

“I think today was a really important game for the direction of our baseball team, specifically because I think we proved that we don’t have to just see a lot of pitches and score a lot of runs with a very potent lineup to win a baseball game,” manager Gabe Kapler said after Sunday’s victory. “We did it with our starting pitching, and Hector Neris was spectacular.”

Eflin gave up a leadoff home run to Max Kapler, and that was the end of Minnesota’s scoring. Eflin covered seven innings, and the bullpen trio of David Robertson, Adam Morgan and Neris got the last six outs. The Phillies improved to 6-2, their best start since the 2011 season, which, of course, was the last time they reached the postseason.

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— Bob Brookover (extrainnings@philly.com)

Velasquez joins the rotation as Phils meet Nats again

Early last week, Bryce Harper made his spectacular return to Washington to face his former team for the first time. Amid relentless boos from the crowd at Nationals Park, he struck out twice against Max Scherzer in his first two at-bats before reaching base eight straight times on a double, a home run, three singles, and three walks.

Now the Nationals come to Citizens Bank Park for the start of a three-game series, and the focus figures to be on Harper again because the focus is always on Harper. But, at least for the Phillies, the focus will also be on Vince Velasquez when he makes his first start of the season Monday night.

After posting a respectable 8-8 record and 3.80 ERA through his first 22 starts last season, Velasquez went 1-4 with an 8.45 ERA in his final nine starts. He failed to pitch more than five innings in 11 of his last 12 starts and did not quell concerns when he posted a 12.79 ERA and worked just 6 1/3 innings during three spring-training starts.

Velasquez did, however, pitch a perfect ninth inning of relief and strike out two in the Phillies’ 8-2 win over the Nationals last Tuesday.

“He’s had some really good side sessions recently,” Kapler said. “I know he’s worked really hard with C.Y. [pitching coach Chris Young]. I feel like he’s going to come out confidently. I think we’re going to see him use his fastball-breaking ball combination. I expect him to attack the strike zone.”

The rundown

It is clear that Zach Eflin entered this season determined to be more than just a No. 4 starter, and through two outings he has been sensational, allowing just one run on nine hits over 12 innings. He has also struck out 14 and allowed just one walk. I wrote how Eflin and Hector Neris had their fingerprints all over Sunday’s victory against the Twins. By the way, Eflin turns 25 years old today.

Matt Breen’s game story takes you through the only at-bat that produced runs for the Phillies on Sunday, and it was a classic nine-pitch confrontation between Rhys Hoskins and Twins ace Jose Berrios. Hoskins won the battle by hitting a 3-2 curveball into the flower bed just beyond the 374-foot sign in left-center field.

The Phillies’ notebook from Breen points out that second baseman Cesar Hernandez has been the weakest link in the lineup through eight games. He has reached base just eight times in 32 plate appearances. That could lead to Scott Kingery’s getting his first start of the season Monday.

Breen spun a great glove tale as told to him by veteran reliever Pat Neshek. Believe it or not, Neshek has used the same glove since he broke into the big leagues in 2006. The pitcher might have an old glove, but he has a new outlook on his role in the Phillies bullpen.

All the changes general manager Matt Klentak made during the offseason have provided a reason to keep an eye on players who could have been Phillies. The list includes Jorge Alfaro, J.P. Crawford and Sixto Sanchez, and I provided some early details about what those guys are doing.

If the Phillies are going to have success this season, they are going to need the back end of the bullpen to perform a lot better than it has through eight games. Seranthony Dominguez’s velocity and command provided cause for concern Saturday when he walked one batter and hit another before surrendering a three-run homer on a fastball that registered just 95.3 mph on the radar gun. A year ago, his four-seamer averaged 98 mph and sometimes touched 100 and higher.

It has been a long time since the Phillies were considered a good baseball team, so as a public service, our Mike Sielski has provided a refresher course on what you can expect through the remainder of the 2019 season. He also reminds everyone that the Phillie Phanatic is still the top mascot in this town even if Gritty did win rookie-of-the-year honors.

The Phillies received some bad news about reliever Tommy Hunter over the weekend. They found out he will not be able to throw for at least three weeks after receiving an injection to relieve the pain in his right forearm.

Bryce Harper’s power might be the main reason Phillies fans have made a mass return to the ballpark, but his base running has been pretty exciting, too. Even though Harper was thrown out at the plate Saturday night, Kapler still loves his aggressiveness.

Our Ed Barkowitz tells a story of a man who made a baseball bet at Parx that he could not lose. The casino initially did not want to pay the man, but eventually did.

Important dates

Today: Vince Velasquez makes his first start of the season vs. Washington, 7:05 p.m.

Tomorrow: Aaron Nola faces Stephen Strasburg, 7:05 p.m.

Wednesday: Nick Pivetta takes on former Phillie Jeremy Hellickson, 7:05 p.m.

Thursday: Off day.

Friday: Phillies face Jorge Alfaro and the Marlins in Miami, 7:10 p.m.

Stat of the day

On this date in 1970, the Phillies received minor-league prospect Willie Montanez from St. Louis as “partial compensation” for Curt Flood’s refusal to go to Philadelphia after a blockbuster October 1969 trade between the teams. The Phillies had sent superstar Dick Allen to the Cardinals in the deal.

Flood’s decision to challenge baseball’s reserve clause triggered the eventual fight for free agency, but it also pretty much ended his career. He played just seven more games.

From my own selfish standpoint, the deal did a few things. It brought the flashy Montanez to Philadelphia and he, along with Larry Bowa, became my first favorite players. Montanez hit 30 home runs and drove in 99 runs to finish second behind Atlanta’s Earl Williams in the 1971 N.L. Rookie of the Year voting. Four years later, the Phillies used Montanez to acquire center fielder Garry Maddox in a trade with San Francisco, and he became a Gold Glove staple in the first great era of Phillies baseball.

From the mailbag

Question: I wish I had written to you about this before the season started so as not to be seen as a johnny-come-lately, but I never understood why so many writers and commentators saw the Phiilies bullpen as a strength. In my opinion, both lefthanders are unreliable. We also have no idea if we are going to get the Seranthony Dominguez of the first half of 2018 and the Hector Nerris of the second half or the reverse. And we don’t know whether Edubray Ramos can perform under pressure on a consistent basis. So how is the current array of relievers a strength? I feel like I did when The Wild Thing pitched for us – reaching for the antacids every time the bullpen door swings open.

Jim L., via email

Answer: Thanks for the question, Jim. Nothing like a good bullpen discussion, especially in the Gabe Kapler era.

I plead guilty to being one of the writers who was bullish on the bullpen entering the season, and I remain that way. It’s difficult not to be in love with Seranthony Dominguez’s power arm, and despite his early struggles, I still think he will be one of baseball’s best relievers by the end of the season. I also liked the addition of David Robertson, and that was based on a track record of more than a decade. Again, he has struggled early, but I think he will get right and be a solid addition.

Pat Neshek has been outstanding during his two seasons with the team and is off to another good start. I’d also argue that we saw a lot more good than bad from Hector Neris during his first four seasons with the Phillies, which is why he carried a career 3.39 ERA into the season.

Based on those things, it was not a reach to think the Phillies bullpen would be a strength in 2019, and I still think it will be.