In many ways, Tuesday marked the beginning of a fresh start for Phillies baseball, only minus the "start" for Domonic Brown. Called up from Lehigh Valley yesterday morning, Brown's flight to Washington was delayed, forcing Charlie Manuel to break out the old eraser and strike no. 9 from the lineup card before the game. Dom eventually arrived at the ballpark, but tonight he arrives in left field.
With Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence out of the picture, Ruben Amaro cleared the path for Brown to become a fixture in the club's outfield. Considered one of the top prospects in baseball as recently as a year ago, Brown's big league career to this point has been shaky, and the hype surrounding the 24 year old has waned. Now he'll be playing everyday, and it's time to sink or swim.
Brown dealt with injuries over the course of the season, but appeared in 60 games for the Iron Pigs in 2012, batting .286 with 33 runs, five home runs, and 28 RBI. Defensively, Brown moved from his signature right field, spending more games in left (43) and even in center (11) than right (4) for the first time since he's been in the organization.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
In previous Major League stints over the past three seasons, Brown has appeared in a combined 92 games. He is a lifetime .239 hitter with 36 runs, seven homers, and 32 RBI. Last night he slapped a pinch-hit single in his first at bat of the year.
Who knows whether or not he's ready to make the jump full time -- if he ever will be for that matter -- but it's time to find out. From everything we've seen and read, Brown seems to have too much talent to fail, and we certainly hope that turns out to be the case. If nothing else, his progress lends a level of intrigue to the Phillies season going forward that otherwise might not exist.
Pitching Matchup
Vance Worley (5-6, 3.88) is on the hill for the Phils, and he's struggled some of late. His ERA has raised nearly a full point over his last five starts, over which he is 1-2 with a 6.42. Previously, Worley had only allowed seven or more hits twice all season -- he's done just that in four out of the last five. You have to wonder how much the bone chip is bothering him as this season wears.
News
The Nationals aren't necessarily the team to help him get his groove back, either. On May 5, Washington beat Worley with five runs off 11 hits over six innings, including a pair of bombs from Jayson Werth and Chad Tracy.
For the Nats, it's right-hander Edwin Jackson (6-6, 3.52), who was cruising in his past two outings. He's allowed just one run in 14 innings.
The Phillies defeated Jackson in a well-pitched game on May 23. He held the Fightins to three runs over seven frames, but Cole Hamels out-dueled him with eight rounds of shutout ball. However, the departed Shane Victorino and Mike Fontenot had the big hits in the game. Tonight would be a good night for Dom Brown to make an impression -- he's 2-for-3 with a double and a run batted in against Jackson.