Luis Severino Starts Athletics Vs Phillies Opener in Philadelphia
The athletics vs phillies opener puts Luis Severino on the mound Wednesday night in Philadelphia, with the Athletics starting the first of three games against a Phillies club that entered at 14-20. It is the Athletics’ third trip to the other side of the country already, and the matchup comes against a team that has not played to its payroll or its recent standard.
Luis Severino and Cristopher Sanchez
Severino brings a 4.46 ERA into the start for the Athletics, while Cristopher Sanchez arrives with a 2.90 ERA through his first seven starts. That pitching gap gives the opener its cleanest edge: the Athletics need length and control on the road, and Philadelphia gets one of its steadier arms in a game that can shape the feel of the series immediately.
Jeffrey Springs was also scheduled to pitch for the Athletics on Wednesday evening, and he carried a 1.46 ERA through his first four starts before leaving his most recent outing with hip tightness. Zack Wheeler was expected to start for Philadelphia the same night, and he was making his third game since returning from injury.
Phillies At 14-20
The Phillies entered the series in fourth place in their division, 10 1/2 games behind the division-leading Atlanta Braves. They brought back essentially the same team that won 96 games last season, but the results have not matched the roster price: their payroll sat at $282 million, fifth in all of baseball.
That gap has shown up across the numbers. Philadelphia ranked 17th in home runs and 28th in batting average and on-base percentage, then sat 26th in slugging and 27th in total runs scored. On the pitching side, the Phillies were second in all of baseball in strikeouts but 26th in team ERA, and they had given up the most hits in baseball while tying for fourth in total runs allowed.
Athletics Road Stretch
For the Athletics, the practical issue is simple: another East Coast trip so early in the season puts the opener’s value on the mound. Severino’s start against Sanchez is the first hard test in a three-game set, and the next one arrives quickly with Wheeler lined up on Wednesday evening. Philadelphia already has enough names to make this series matter; the standings say it has to start turning into wins.
