Inside the Matchups: Parra versus Phillies, Washburn versus Rays

Manny Parra has struggled out of the gate this season and takes on the Phillies on Tuesday. Parra has not been throwing the first-pitch strike and consistently finds himself in an uphill battle against the hitter. He has faced 45 batters this season and his first-pitch offering has found the strike zone only 15 times, and there may be a good reason why; hitters hit .494 off his first pitch in the 2008 season. The Phillies don't chase pitches out of the zone (fifth-lowest chase percentage in the NL) and 11 of Philadelphia's 15 home runs this season have come after the pitcher got behind 1-0, so the Phillies will make Parra pay if he doesn't command the zone. Until Parra shows confidence with his first pitch, he's not a reliable starter.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Email
• Subscribe