Phils’ Mick Abel looks to continue impressive career start vs. Cubs

Philadelphia Phillies rookie Mick Abel has made quite an impression in a short amount of time.

Abel gets the ball again Tuesday when the Phillies continue their three-game home series against the Chicago Cubs.

In his first two career starts, Abel (1-0, 0.79 ERA) has allowed one run in 11 1/3 innings with 11 strikeouts and zero walks. He yielded one run and three hits over 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday.

“I wouldn’t say I had my greatest stuff today,” the 23-year-old right-hander said. “I didn’t have my A-plus stuff today. So, going as long as I did and feeling how I did, I think I did a pretty good job.”

In his major league debut, Abel fired six shutout innings and struck out nine in a 1-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 18.

The Phillies would love to see Abel mimic the outing authored by Zack Wheeler in the series opener on Monday. The Philadelphia ace logged six innings and allowed one run and three hits while striking out seven and walking one in an eventual no-decision.

After Wheeler’s night was finished, the Phillies fell behind 3-2 in the 11th inning before rallying to win 4-3 in the bottom half on Brandon Marsh’s bases-loaded hit.

Otto Kemp recorded the first three hits of his career to highlight the Phillies’ 16-hit attack.

“He’s looked comfortable,” Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson said of the third baseman who was playing in his third major league game. “He’s got great composure. I really like the way he goes about his business.”

The clutch efforts from Wheeler, Kemp and Nick Castellanos (three hits) helped Philadelphia win for just the second time in 11 games.

“It was a big win for us,” Marsh said. “We’ve just got to keep the momentum rolling (Tuesday).”

Meanwhile, Chicago has lost four of its past six games and managed only five hits on Monday. Home runs by Kyle Tucker and Ian Happ propelled the Cubs through regulation before Pete Crow-Armstrong delivered a run-scoring double in the 11th.

“We had five hits, so there wasn’t a lot of offense tonight,” Chicago manager Craig Counsell said. “We had some big swings. Tucker, obviously, big swing. Ian with a big swing, Pete with a big swing. But ultimately, that means not a lot of action on the bases, not a lot of pressure innings. And that eventually came back to bite us tonight.”

The Cubs will give the ball on Tuesday to Colin Rea (4-2, 3.59 ERA). The right-hander tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings in his most recent outing, a 7-1 win over the Washington Nationals on Thursday. Rea gave up just five hits and a walk in that contest, and he earned the win despite not striking out any of the 22 batters he faced.

Chicago used an opener in front of the right-handed Rea that day, but they likely will not employ a similar strategy on Tuesday.

“Mostly a function of just their lineup,” Counsell said after Rea’s last outing. “This is a very unique lineup configuration. (The Nationals have) got a bunch of left-handed hitters. The guys at the top of the lineup are really tough outs, frankly, no matter who’s pitching, but just think it’s better for a left-hander.”

The Phillies do not have left-handed-hitter Bryce Harper (wrist) at the moment. They likely will have a bevy of right-handed batters against Rea, who is 1-2 with a 2.45 ERA in seven career games (five starts) vs. Philadelphia. He got a win against the Phillies on April 25 when he threw five scoreless innings and fanned seven.

–Field Level Media