DENVER — Pete Mackanin stepped onto Coors Field and raised his right arm before Pat Valaika’s foot touched home plate. The manager wanted a new pitcher. By employing one of the youngest starting rotations in baseball, the Phillies know they are destined for nights like these. They will separate who belongs and who does not.
This ballpark is a good barometer.
Nick Pivetta, in an 8-5 loss to the potent Rockies, threw 29 pitches before he recorded his first out. He did not survive the third inning; Valaika ended the rookie righthander’s night with a 407-foot shot to left field.