Post by inspectorjj on Apr 15, 2007 11:12:53 GMT -5
Off to a rough start in 2007, the Philadelphia Phillies hope a major offseason acquisition can give them a lift in his debut with the team.
Philadelphia newcomer Freddy Garcia takes the mound Sunday as the Phillies aim for their first back-to-back wins of the season in the finale of a three-game set against the Houston Astros.
Garcia opened the season on the 15-day disabled list with tendinitis in his right biceps, and will be making his first start since joining the Phillies in a December trade. The 30-year-old right-hander went 17-9 with a 4.53 ERA with the Chicago White Sox in 2006, and has won at least 12 games in seven of his eight major league seasons.
Last year, no Philadelphia starter won more than 12 games.
"He's had to pitch when it's on the line. He's had the opportunity to do things you want a pitcher to be able to do," Phillies assistant general manager Mike Arbuckle said after acquiring Garcia. "He's going to fit nicely into our rotation and we feel like he's a guy that's going to be able to give us innings. He's a proven winner."
Garcia, whose career started in the Astros organization, pitched seven scoreless innings and allowed only four hits in his last start against Houston, a 1-0 win in Game 4 of the 2005 World Series that completed a sweep for the White Sox.
The Phillies (3-8) got swept by Atlanta in their opening series, and
Philadelphia newcomer Freddy Garcia takes the mound Sunday as the Phillies aim for their first back-to-back wins of the season in the finale of a three-game set against the Houston Astros.
Garcia opened the season on the 15-day disabled list with tendinitis in his right biceps, and will be making his first start since joining the Phillies in a December trade. The 30-year-old right-hander went 17-9 with a 4.53 ERA with the Chicago White Sox in 2006, and has won at least 12 games in seven of his eight major league seasons.
Last year, no Philadelphia starter won more than 12 games.
"He's had to pitch when it's on the line. He's had the opportunity to do things you want a pitcher to be able to do," Phillies assistant general manager Mike Arbuckle said after acquiring Garcia. "He's going to fit nicely into our rotation and we feel like he's a guy that's going to be able to give us innings. He's a proven winner."
Garcia, whose career started in the Astros organization, pitched seven scoreless innings and allowed only four hits in his last start against Houston, a 1-0 win in Game 4 of the 2005 World Series that completed a sweep for the White Sox.
The Phillies (3-8) got swept by Atlanta in their opening series, and