Phillies to Use ‘Opener’ on Saturday Opposite Kershaw, Dodgers

By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor

A "first" will take place for the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday, as they oppose perennial All-Star and Cy Young Award candidate Clayton Kershaw at Dodger Stadium: the club will intentionally use a relief pitcher as an "opener" — made popular last season by the Tampa Bay Rays.

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The Phillies are starting Alvarez with the hope to mitigate the power from the National League-best Los Angeles Dodgers' left-handed hitters. On Friday, the Dodgers stacked their lineup with six straight left-handed batters against Phillies right-hander Jake Arrieta — Joc Pederson (2-4, 2 R, HR, RBI); Max Muncy (2-3, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, SO); Corey Seager (1-4, R, HR, 2 RBI, 2 SO); Cody Bellinger (2-4); Matt Beaty (1-4, SO); and Alex Verdugo (0-4).

Cole Irvin and Vince Velasquez will be available to follow Alvarez in relief, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia's Jim Salisbury.

Dodgers batters are slashing just .256/.347/.435 against southpaw pitching this season, as opposed to .270/.352/.487 against right-handers. In particular, their left-handed batters are slashing .274/.357/.463 against left-handed pitchers, as opposed to .301/.383/.587 against right-handers.

Alvarez will not be making his first career start; during his rookie season with the Detroit Tigers in 2013, six of his 14 appearances came as a starter. In those starts, he went 1-4 with a 5.14 ERA, 25-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 1.429 WHIP spanning 28 innings.

The Barcelona, Venezuela, native has not appeared as a starter since. So far in his first season with the Phillies in 2019, Alvarez has gone 0-1 with a 3.92 ERA, 15-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 1.452 WHIP spanning 22 appearances and 20 2/3 innings.