Jesús Luzardo to Start Game 1 for Phillies After Dominant Summer

Jesús Luzardo will start Game 1 of the Phillies' Wild Card Series against the Braves after returning from shoulder inflammation. Activated Sunday, he threw four pitches following a dominant regular season where he went 14-5 with a 2.86 ERA and 221 strikeouts. His stellar second-half surge was fueled by a lowered arm slot that enhanced his four-seam fastball and elite sweeper, leading to a 1.70 ERA across his final 16 starts and cementing his role as Philadelphia's postseason opener.