Bryson Stott leads off for Phillies against lefty Nick Lodolo
Bryson Stott has been leading off against right-handed pitchers and now he’s doing so against a tough lefty. Phillies manager Rob Thomson kept Stott atop the lineup for Thursday’s series opener in Cincinnati against southpaw Nick Lodolo.
Lodolo absolutely dominated the Phillies last week at Citizens Bank Park, allowing three hits and striking out 12 over seven scoreless innings. He has held lefties to a .140 batting average with one extra-base hit in his 16 big-league starts.
But Thomson is rolling with Stott in the leadoff spot. The second-year second baseman has opened the season with a 12-game hitting streak, the longest by any Phillie since 1950. He’s hitting .421 with four doubles and three stolen bases.
Stott has performed better against lefties (.288 BA, .769 OPS) than he has against righties (.242 BA, .652 OPS) in his brief major-league career.
Stott has the offensive skill set — plate selection, contact rate, ability to hit pitching from both sides — to lead off and if he can run with this opportunity, it will elongate the Phillies’ lineup. It puts Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber in better run-producing spots and it lengthens the middle of the order, particularly as the Phils await the return of Bryce Harper from Tommy John surgery.
Fellow left-handed hitter Brandon Marsh is not in the lineup. Cristian Pache gets another start in center field, his fifth.
Here is the lineup Thursday for the 4-8 Phillies against Lodolo and the Reds:
1. Bryson Stott, 2B
2. Trea Turner, SS
3. Kyle Schwarber, LF
4. Nick Castellanos, RF
5. J.T. Realmuto, C
6. Alec Bohm, 1B
7. Josh Harrison, DH
8. Edmundo Sosa, 3B
9. Cristian Pache, CF
