Three players made their Phillies debut on Monday night and two were instrumental in the comeback win over the Mets.
Brandon Kintzler managed five eliminations, including a huge double game ball in the fourth inning to relieve Matt Moore.
Sam Coonrod recorded six outs with three strikeouts and an average of 97 mph with his fastball.
And Matt Joyce made his debut in a successful role, appearing for third place.
The Phillies used 22 of their 26 players in their 4-0 start. The only four who have not yet participated in a game are Chase Anderson, Vince Velasquez, David Hale and Ronald Torreyes.
Anderson, the 5th starter, plays tonight alongside Mets right-hander Marcus Stroman. Number 4 titleholder Matt Moore debuted on Monday and seemed keen on two entries before breaking up on the next two. It allowed for two runs, four walks and four hits with four kills in 3 innings.
The Phillies have two long men in their bullpen at Vince Velasquez and David Hale, so it was a little surprising to see none of them get approval after Moore. It was a big highlight in that fourth entry and coach Joe Girardi went to Kintzler, who has a more reliable track record. It was certainly a promising sign for the Phillies that Kintzler and Coonrod show the ability to make multiple entries. This only gives them more options in the event of a quick start.
Anderson is not known for delving into the games, getting a similar Velasquez average per match, so it stands to reason that we could see one or both Velasquez and Hale tonight. Remember that the Phillies want to keep Velasquez stretched so that he is a realistic option as a starter in the event of an injury. Ideally, you don’t want him to transition from stints from one entry to 60-75 shots.
As for Torreyes, he is the utility here, more for his glove and positional versatility than for his stick in impact situations. His first appearance could come as a defensive substitute at the end of the shift for someone like Alec Bohm if the Phillies have a comfortable advantage. The new extra entry rule decreases the importance of the bench attack a bit because you may only need a hitter or two in a given game. On Sunday, when Andrew Knapp started behind the plate, JT Realmuto hit back on the seventh inning. Under normal extra-entry rules, Realmuto is probably saved there in case you need to pick it up later.
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