Rise and Phight: 4/2/2021

What an Opening Day!

The Phillies, of course, walked it off in dramatic fashion thanks to a heart palpatating top and bottom of the tenth. Thanks to plays by J.T. Realmuto and Didi Gregorius, the Braves never really got it going there at the end. With the runner beginning on second base now in extra innings, the Phillies converted and didn’t let the bullpen get any more exposed than they would have wanted to. Those are the fun kinds of wins.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• In a thriller of a win, it was the bullpen and their lockdown performance that stood out the most.
• Adam Haseley got a somewhat surprising start in center field since there was a left hander on the mound, but had to leave early with groin tightness.
• Bryce Harper had some dope shoes during pregame introductions.
• The new front office regime is really trying to strike that balance between analytical leaning and old school philosophy ($).

MLB news:

• More predictions? More predictions!
• Here’s a fun look at the uniform changes for 2021.
• The Yankees had the audacity to lose yesterday and there is already complaining about the rule that caused them to lose.
• Speaking of rules, did you see the Cody Bellinger two-run home run that only scored one guy?
• Well, at least the Phillies don’t have to worry about their starting pitching this year, unlike SOME teams.