New Phillies manager Gabe Kapler didn’t start center fielder Odubel Herrera on opening day Thursday because he didn’t like the matchup against the Braves’ Julio Teheran, and let’s just say the Braves were pleasantly surprised after seeing him shred their pitching in 2017.
Herrera hit .377 (23-for-61) with 14 extra-base hits, including five homers, 13 RBIs and a whopping 1.210 OPS in 16 games against the Braves last season and didn’t have more than three homers or seven RBIs against any other team.
The former All-Star was ridiculously good against the Braves at SunTrust Park, where Herrera hit .375 with a 1.318 OPS in nine games and 11 of his 12 hits went for extra bases, including two triples and two homers.
Against Teheran, Herrera was 5-for-27 (.185) with one homer and one RBI, the homer in an August game at SunTrust Park. The player that Kapler started in center field Thursday, Aaron Altherr, was 2-for-16 in his career against Teheran with one homer and nine strikeouts.
