Phillies: Lineup’s role for wins

Battles ahead:

On the drawing board theory, but the reality is on the diamond. Hopefully, Kapler is a quick study because the faithful were thankful for a couple of days off before April’s first matchup.

The other analytical problem was Kapler deciding his first six lineups before the ump yelled play ball. Yes, the starting second baseman for game two initially was Kingery, but Cesar Hernandez proved getting on base can change Kapler’s mind. A good sign?

For the four infielders to Santana’s right, Hernandez started every contest, Kingery and J.P. Crawford had three apiece, and Maikel Franco had two starts with his third probably coming on Wednesday. Perhaps, Kapler, a former position player, is not as rigid with the lineup. But runs alone won’t win enough games.

Kapler will probably play Hernandez in the next five contests and give Kingery, Franco and Crawford three each for six games including Wednesday night’s defeat. But Kingery could have four starts to compensate for the two missing setup men and Arrieta’s first outing due to his pitch count.

"WORDS OF WISDOM: “Like it or not, life is a series of competitions.” – Harvey Mackay"

Besides Rhys Hoskins in the outfield, Odubel Herrera will probably play 80 percent of the time because of his bat and his speed in center field. So, that will leave three each of every five games for Aaron Altherr and Nick Williams.

But when Nola, a ground-ball pitcher, is on the mound; Herrera is the left-handed bat off the bench. However, if the Phils are having trouble scoring runs, Herrera will be in there especially if he’s on a hot streak.