HEADLINE

Phillies’ Pivetta squares off against Braves rookie Wilson

Field Level Media

March 29, 2019 at 8:31 pm.

Philadelphia has chosen another bright young member of its pitching staff to start the second game of the season, while Atlanta has dipped into the wealth of its farm system.

Philadelphia will send right-hander Nick Pivetta (7-14, 4.77 ERA in 2018) to oppose Atlanta rookie right-hander Bryse Wilson (1-0, 6.43 in 2018) on Saturday in the second game of the three-game series in Philadelphia.

Pivetta, who has a powerful arm on his 6-foot-5 frame, has done well against Atlanta in his two years in the majors. Pivetta is 4-1 with a 2.72 ERA in eight starts against the Braves. He has struck out 35 in 43 innings pitched against Atlanta and averaged 10.32 strikeouts per nine innings through his first two seasons.

He made five starts against Atlanta last season, going 1-1 with a 3.12 ERA. He had three good starts and two poor starts. He allowed one run over five innings on April 17, fired seven shutout innings in beating the Braves on May 21 and allowed one run in five innings on Sept. 21. In the other two starts, he combined to throw nine innings and allow seven runs.

“We sat there and watched (a spring training game) and one of the things we kept saying was, ‘That’s A-plus elite stuff,'” Philadelphia manager Gabe Kapler said. “We’ve known that for quite some time, but he is starting to harness it a bit. It’s definitely in there. He has the potential to be a breakout performer, for sure.”

Wilson, Pivetta’s mound opponent, has quickly ascended through the deep Atlanta farm system. Last summer, Wilson became the first high school player chosen in the 2016 Major League Draft to reach the majors. The Braves used a fourth-round pick on Wilson and convinced him to sign with a $1.2 million bonus rather than play collegiately for North Carolina.

Wilson sped his way through three minor league levels last year, going 8-5 with a 3.44 ERA in 25 appearances. He had a 19-13 record with a 2.74 in 60 games in the minors, 55 of them starts, with 311 strikeouts and 81 walks in 289 1/3 innings.

He joined the Braves in late summer and won his debut on Aug. 20, beating the Pirates with five scoreless innings in his only start. He had two other ineffective relief appearances afterwards.

Wilson is an aggressive pitcher, who attacks with his fastball, which generally measures in the low-90s. He breaking ball resembles a hard, tight slider. Wilson was generally seen as a middle of the rotation guy and possibly a bullpen guy, but was moved into the rotation when injured Atlanta starters Mike Foltynewicz and Kevin Gausman were unable to start the season.

This spring Wilson pitched 13 2/3 innings in five appearances, four starts, and compiled a 3.29 ERA, with 13 strikeouts and two walks.

“He’s an aggressive kid that’s going to be on the attack,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said.

The Phillies exploited the Atlanta bullpen on Opening Day and took a 10-4 win on Thursday. It was Philadelphia’s largest margin of victory in a season opener since Roy Halladay pitched them to an 11-1 win over Washington in 2010.

The Phillies got home runs from Andrew McCutchen, Maikel Franco and Rhys Hoskins — his first career grand slam — to support six strong innings from starting pitcher Aaron Nola before the first of three sold-out crowds for the opening weekend.