PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Now, the real games begin.
The Phillies concluded their spring training schedule on Monday with a 13-7 loss to Toronto. Next up is the regular season opener on Thursday, when the Phillies will play host to the Braves. The Phillies are hoping to rebound after falling just short of the playoffs in 2020.
Manager Joe Girardi believes he is bringing a deep team north this spring.
"I think there’s more depth," said Girardi. "I think there’s more experience as well, and I think that should be good for us."
Girardi announced his rotation for the start of the season. Zach Eflin will be the third starter behind Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler and ahead of Matt Moore and Chase Anderson. Eflin went five innings against Toronto and allowed two runs and eight hits in his final start of spring training.
"I thought it went really well," Eflin said. "My command could have been a lot better, but I was happy with the way the ball was coming out and the shape of the pitches. I feel like I got some really good work in."
Eflin and the starters are hoping for more consistency this season. The relievers are looking to make up for a 2020 campaign which was quite forgettable. The Phillies had one of the worst bullpens in baseball, but Eflin is confident the relievers will turn things around this year.
"Everybody’s just oozing confidence," said Eflin. There’s not anybody in particular that doesn’t ooze confidence, and that’s exactly what you need in a bullpen. Everybody wants the ball and they want to get outs, so that’s really all you can ask for. They’ve put in great work in spring training and in this off season."
The Phillies and the rest of the baseball world continue to take precautions regarding COVID-19. While the Phillies have been healthy on the pandemic front this spring, they are hoping the usual assortment of bumps and bruises will fade as the season gets underway. Girardi knows a healthy squad could lead to a healthy start in April.
"We’ve had some guys that have been nicked up in spring training," Girardi said. "They seem to be getting healthy at the right time."