At 7:05 pm tonight, the New York Yankees will meet the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia. Citizen’s Bank Park is one of the most beautiful baseball parks in MLB. It’s especially fun for kids; they have a full interactive baseball experience for kids just off of the left field. Another feature is the famous Philadelphia food stands. Tonight will be the first of a four-game series, two in Philadelphia and two at Yankee Stadium.
The last time the New York Yankees played a significant game at Citizen’s Bank Park was in the 2009 World Series. It was the last time that the Yankees won a World Series. Joe Torre was the manager back then, now the ex-Yankee skipper Joe Girardi is in his first year as manager of the Phillies.
This year the Phillies have earned the nickname Yankees south. Along with Joe Girardi, ex-Yankees Andrew McCutchen, Ronald Torreyes, Neil Walker, and Didi Gregorius all now manage or play for the Phillies.
Tonight’s game will start under partly sunny skies with a field temperature in the mid-’90s, cooling off to the high-’80s by games end. There is no chance of rain this evening.
Tonight right-hand pitcher Jake Arrieta will face the New York Yankees J.A. Happ. The last time Arrieta faced the Yankees was during May of 2018. He gave up all six runs of a Yankee 6-0 shutout by Yankee pitcher Luis Severino and led to the three-game Yankees sweep of the Phillies. He gave up six runs in just five innings.
Arrieta, in 2018 was 10-11 with an ERA 3.96. Last year in 24 appearances, he was 8-8 with an ERA of 4.64. If the Yankees win any of the four games, tonight should be the one the Yankees walk away with. Arrieta missed the second half of last season after pitching the first half with bone spurs in his elbow. He said he is feeling fine and ready to have a strong season in the final year of his contract. Tonight will be his first test.
J. A. Happ will take the mound for the New York Yankees. This will be his first start in the 14th year of his major league career. Happ last year was somewhat of a disappointment to the Yankees going only 12-8 after his 2018 Yankee campaign when he went 7-0 in eleven starts. However, a good sign for the Yankees is that he was their best pitcher in summer camp. In 13 spring innings, Happ worked to a 1.38 ERA while allowing only one homer.
Happ will be most concerned tonight in keeping the ball in Citizen’s Bank Park; he had trouble with that last season. He will also have to watch out for Jean Segura, who has a .800 record off the lefty. Interestingly he will most likely face ex-Yankee Didi Gregorius in tonight’s lineup. Gregorius has faced Happ 20 times and only batted .100 off him.
In the last game at Citizen’s Bank Park, tomorrow night at 6:05 pm Yankee ace Gerrit Cole will face the Phillies Zack Eflin. Wednesday night at 7:05 pm will be Opening Day of the season at Yankee Stadium. The Phillies will face Yankee pitcher Jordan Montgomery.
This writer’s prediction, a Yankee win (6-3).
EmpireSportsMedia.com’s Columnist William Parlee is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research. Follow me on Twitter @parleewilliam.