Painter's Phenomenal Debut

On April 1, Philadelphia Phillies' rookie right-hander, Andrew Painter, finally made his majorly

debut Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park, and he owned the mound from the jump.

The 22-year-old threw five and one-third innings against the nationals, giving up just

four hits, one run, one walk, and racking up eight.

Strikeouts on 84 pitches.

Fans gave him standing ovation walking to the bullpen and back, hyped for the kid who's

been waiting over three years since his Tommy John surgery.

Andrew's fastball popped at 97 to 98 miles per hour, way sharper than his spring training

showings, hitting 98.7 twice.

He navigated jams like a vet, escaping second-inning trouble with runners on the corners, and

keeping the gnats off balance through multiple looks at their lineup.

The crowd of 40,000 roared every step, building noise as he strolled the dugout, turning

the night into a homecoming celebration.

Phillies' manager, Rob Thompson, had said he'd be thrilled with six innings of strikes,

and Painter delivered that command early, flashing why he's atop.

Prospect was serious poise under pressure.

His secondary pitches stole the show too.

Curves, changeups, sliders, sweepers, all dialed in for whiffs, including striking out

the side in the fifth.

He maxed adrenaline-fueled heat while mixing speeds perfectly, proving his arsenal goes

beyond the fastball.

Painter's eight strikeouts ranked second in Phillies' debut history just behind a couple

legends, setting a strong foundation for what's next in this.

Rebuild.

The Phillies staff has a gem here, ready to lock down games as the season heats up.

That's the story for today, MLB News Today, Driven by AI, I'm Corey with The Story.