PHILADELPHIA -- Zach Eflin could be creating a numbers crunch in the Phillies' rotation.
He is 1-0 with a 0.71 ERA in two starts since replacing Ben Lively (0-2, 6.85 ERA in five starts) in the rotation last week. Phillies manager Gabe Kapler raved about Eflin's performance in Monday's 11-0 victory over the Giants. Eflin threw a remarkably effective four-seam fastball that is averaging 94.4 mph this season -- almost 1.5 mph faster than last year -- and induced a career-high 14 swings and misses.
If Eflin is pitching anything close to that in the coming weeks, he is going to stay in the rotation.