PHILADELPHIA – It sure seemed like
But he would love to start, right?\n\n“Oh, 100%,” Velasquez said. “Over the past four or five years, it’s been kind of difficult. But at the same time, I know what my capabilities are. I know what I have, and I know what I can bring to the table.”\n\nThe Phillies opened the season with right-hander Chase Anderson and left-hander Matt Moore in the Nos. 4 and 5 spots in the rotation.\n\nAnderson has a 5.40 ERA through five starts. Moore had a 9.82 ERA in three, before landing on the COVID-19 injured list.
Moore’s unexpected departure created an opportunity for Velasquez, whose inconsistencies the past several seasons are partly why the Phillies searched for starting pitching help in the offseason.\n\nVelasquez allowed five runs in 8 1/3 innings in his first two starts in place of Moore. His 5.40 ERA fell in line with his 5.09 ERA over 30 starts from 2019-20.\n\nBut when Moore rejoined the team early last week, the Phillies continued to start Velasquez. They said that Moore missed too much time to jump back in. They said he needed to pitch before he returned.\n\nSo far Moore has not pitched.
\nSo, perhaps curiously, when asked after the game on Monday whether Velasquez had earned a start Saturday against the Braves in Atlanta, Girardi said, “Yeah, I mean, I have to see what happens and see what we need. But yeah, I mean Vinny threw a good game.\"\n\nVelasquez allowed a mammoth home run to Lorenzo Cain with one out in the first -- the ball landed on Ashburn Alley in left-center field -- but then he settled. And he struck out Cain and Christian Yelich on changeups to start the third.
Velasquez retired the final 10 batters he faced.\n\n“Vinny’s best two innings were his fifth and sixth inning,” Girardi said. “Maybe we need to tire him out a little bit.”\n\nThe Phillies took a 2-1 lead in the first inning when