At long last, the 2020 MLB season has arrived. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has forced MLB to shorten the season to 60 games. There will also be a universal DH and a runner placed at second base to begin extra innings to speed things along. Embrace this weird. This season will be full of it.
In Philly, two NL East rivals -- the Phillies and Marlins -- will match skills and wits on Opening Day:
- Date: Friday, July 24
- Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
- Venue: Citizens Bank Park -- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- TV: Fox Sports Florida, NBC Sports Philadelphia
- Stream: MLB.TV
Pitching matchup: Sandy Alcantara vs. Aaron Nola
Nola, the Phillies' 27-year-old ace, finished third in the NL Cy Young balloting in 2018, but numbers slipped a bit last season overall. Even so, Nola remains in the upper tier of NL starting pitchers, and he's been particularly dominant at home throughout recent history. Nola has limited hitter currently on the Marlins' roster to a slugging percentage of just .
Across the way, Alcantara -- the Marlins' lone All-Star last season -- begins his age-24 campaign with his first career Opening Day start. Alcantara has strong fastball-sinker-slider trio, and while the strikeout numbers aren't what you want he's performed solidly in terms of run prevention.
Storyline to watch: Girardi's Philly debut
In addition to roster additions like Zack Wheeler and Didi Gregorius, the Phillies also added manager Joe Girardi to the fold. Girardi coincidentally began his MLB managerial career with the Marlins, but he earned a reputation as a leading tactician across 10 seasons with the Yankees. Over that span, he won 910 games and led the Yanks to six postseason berths and a World Series title (over the Phillies) in 2009. One can plausibly argue that Girardi, now 55, becomes the best manager in the NL East. That's potentially significant, as the Phillies, Nationals, Braves, and Mets all have legitimate designs on the division crown and probably won't be separated by many games. Girardi will look to make a positive first impression in Philly.
Prediction
The Phillies project to be the better team in 2020, and they're at home behind their ace. Why make it complicated? Nola pitches solidly, and Bryce Harper drives in four as the Phillies roll.
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July 24, 2020 at 09:53PM
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Marlins vs. Phillies: MLB 2020 Opening Day live stream, watch online, TV channel, prediction, pick - CBS Sports
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