LIVE: Harper, Phillies face Dodgers FREE on MLB.TV
Bryce Harper’s remarkable return to the Majors will take center stage today as the Phillies take on the Dodgers in MLB.TV’s Free Game of the Day.
Harper, who underwent Tommy John surgery in November and was estimated to return around the All-Star break, made his season debut on Tuesday after just 160 days of recovery, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
Harper was not unique in his struggles at the plate -- the Phillies took a lopsided 13-1 loss, with their only run coming via a solo shot off the bat of former Dodger Trea Turner. They have now been outscored 26-5 in the first two games after coming into the series having won seven of their previous 10 to climb over .500 for the first time in 2023. With Tuesday night’s defeat, they are now 15-16 on the season.
The Dodgers are riding a five-game winning streak, having shaken off a somewhat lackluster start to the season. The club leads the National League in home runs (52) and runs scored (172) and has climbed into first place in the tightly contested NL West (18-13).
As they look to fend off the sweep, the Phillies have Aaron Nola (2-2, 4.46 ERA) on the mound for the finale. The right-hander is coming off a sparkling outing against the Astros on Friday in which he allowed a run on three hits across eight innings.
The Dodgers handed the ball to 24-year-old right-hander Gavin Stone for his Major League debut. A fifth-round pick in the 2020 Draft, Stone is the club’s No. 4 prospect as ranked by MLB Pipeline. In his Minor League career, he has pitched to a 2.69 ERA with 333 strikeouts in 237 1/3 innings.