The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball franchise based in Philadelphia. They play in the National League East division. Also known in early franchise history as the "Philadelphia Quakers", the Phillies have used 72 different Opening Day starting pitchers in their 128 seasons. The first game of the new baseball season for a team is played on Opening Day, and being named the Opening Day starter is an honor, which is often given to the player who is expected to lead the pitching staff that season, though there are various strategic reasons why a team's best pitcher might not start on Opening Day. Where decisions are known, the 72 starters have a combined Opening Day record of 33 wins, 40 losses and 20 no decisions (33–40–20); where decisions are unknown, the team's record was 17–19. No decisions are awarded to the starting pitcher if the game is won or lost after the starting pitcher has left the game. It can also result if a starting pitcher does not pitch five full innings, even if his team retains the lead and wins.

Hall of Fame left-handed pitcher Steve Carlton has the most Opening Day starts for the Phillies, with 14, compiling a record of 3–9–2. He is followed by Robin Roberts (twelve starts; 5–6–1), Chris Short (six starts; 3–1–2), and Aaron Nola (six starts; 3–2–1).

Roberts holds the Phillies' record for most wins in Opening Day starts with five. Art Mahaffey has the best record in Opening Day starts for the franchise; though many players have won their only Opening Day start, Mahaffey started and won two Opening Day games, for a winning percentage of 1.000; Roy Halladay also has a 1.000 winning percentage, with two wins and a no decision in three starts. Conversely, George McQuillan is the only player to have a .000 winning percentage in more than one Opening Day start (0–2–0 in two starts). Brett Myers has a .000 winning percentage in his three starts, but has accumulated two no decisions (0–1–2). Carlton has the most Opening Day losses for the team, with nine.

The Phillies have played in six home ballparks. Their best overall Opening Day record is at Shibe Park (also known as Connie Mack Stadium), where they won 11 Opening Day games out of 14 played there (11–3). The team also owned an 8–17 Opening Day record at Baker Bowl (initially known as the Philadelphia Baseball Grounds), with 1 tie. Recreation Park's Opening Day record is 1–2, while Veterans Stadium has the lowest winning percentage (.200), with 2 wins and 8 losses. The Phillies currently play at Citizens Bank Park, where they are 2–5 on Opening Day.

The Phillies have played in seven World Series championships in their history, winning in 1980 and 2008. Carlton won his Opening Day start against the Montreal Expos in 1980, while Myers received a no-decision against the same franchise (now the Washington Nationals) in 2008, a game that the Phillies eventually lost, and lost the opening game against the Atlanta Braves in 2009. Carlton also started Opening Day in 1983, the year that the Phillies lost to the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series. Alexander started Opening Day in 1915, the Phillies' first World Series appearance, while Roberts started the first game of 1950, and Terry Mulholland the first game of 1993.

Key Season (#)Each year is linked to an article about the Major League Baseball season; numbers indicate the game number during that Opening Day, in the case of a doubleheader.Final score (#)Game score with winning team's runs listed first; extra innings in parenthesesLocationStadium in italics denotes a Phillies' home gamePitcher (#)Number of appearances as the Phillies' Opening Day starterWWinLLossTTieND (W or L)No decision by starting pitcher; game result in parentheses(W or L)Game result in parentheses; information about decision unavailable*Advanced to the postseason§Won the National League Championship Series†Won the World Series

Starting pitchers

SeasonPitcherDecisionFinalscoreOpponentLocationRef(s) (1)(L)4–3Providence GraysRecreation Park (1)(W)13–2Detroit WolverinesRecreation Park (2)(L)8–2Providence GraysRecreation Park (1)(L)6–3Washington NationalsSwampoodle Grounds (1)(L)4–3New York GiantsPolo Grounds I (1)(L)4–3Boston BeaneatersSouth End Grounds II (1)(W)8–4Washington NationalsSwampoodle Grounds (2)(W)4–0New York GiantsPolo Grounds II (3)(L)14–8Brooklyn GroomsPhiladelphia Baseball Grounds (1)(L)5–4New York GiantsPhiladelphia Baseball Grounds (1)(W)7–5Brooklyn GroomsPhiladelphia Baseball Grounds (2)(L)4–2Washington SenatorsBoundary Field (1)(W)7–6Baltimore Orioles (NL)Union Park (2)(L)7–3Boston BeaneatersBaker Bowl (1)(W)6–5Boston BeaneatersSouth End Grounds III (1)(L)7–6New York GiantsBaker Bowl (1)(W)6–5Washington SenatorsBaker Bowl (2)(W)19–17Boston BeaneatersSouth End Grounds III (1)(L)12–7Brooklyn SuperbasBaker Bowl (1)(L)7–0New York GiantsPolo Grounds III (1)(L)8–3Boston BeaneatersBaker Bowl (1)(W)6–2Boston BeaneatersBaker Bowl (1)(W)12–8Brooklyn SuperbasWashington Park III (1)(L)3–2New York GiantsBaker Bowl (1)(W)3–0New York GiantsPolo Grounds III (1)(L)3–1New York GiantsBaker Bowl (1)(L)9–5Boston DovesSouth End Grounds III (2)(L)2–0Brooklyn SuperbasBaker Bowl (1)W2–0New York GiantsPolo Grounds IV (1)(L)7–4Boston BravesSouth End Grounds III (1)(W)1–0Brooklyn SuperbasEbbets Field (2)(W)10–1New York GiantsBaker Bowl* (3)(W)3–0Boston BravesFenway Park (4)(W)5–4New York GiantsBaker Bowl (5)(W)6–5Brooklyn RobinsEbbets Field (1)(W)5–2Boston BravesBaker Bowl (1)(L)10–7New York GiantsBaker Bowl (1)L9–2Brooklyn RobinsEbbets Field (1)ND (L)10–8 (11)New York GiantsBaker Bowl (1)W7–1Boston BravesBraves Field (1)ND (T)5–5Brooklyn RobinsEbbets Field (2)ND (T)6–6 (11)Boston BravesBaker Bowl (1)L3–1Brooklyn RobinsEbbets Field (2)W6–3Boston BravesBaker Bowl (3)L15–7New York GiantsBaker Bowl (3)W4–3Brooklyn RobinsEbbets Field (1)L11–9New York GiantsBaker Bowl (1)W1–0Brooklyn RobinsEbbets Field (1)L9–5New York GiantsBaker Bowl (1)W13–5New York GiantsPolo Grounds IV (1)L5–4Brooklyn RobinsBaker Bowl (1)L6–1New York GiantsPolo Grounds IV (1)L12–3Brooklyn DodgersBaker Bowl (2)W4–1Boston BravesBaker Bowl (1)ND (W)2–1 (11)Boston BravesBraves Field (1)W1–0Boston BravesBraves Field (1)ND (L)12–5Brooklyn DodgersBaker Bowl (1)ND (L)7–6 (12)Boston BravesBraves Field (1)W3–1New York GiantsPolo Grounds IV (1)W6–5Boston BravesShibe Park (1)L2–1Boston BravesShibe Park (1)L11–4Brooklyn DodgersEbbets Field (1)W4–1Brooklyn DodgersShibe Park (1)L8–2Brooklyn DodgersEbbets Field (1)L8–4New York GiantsPolo Grounds IV (1)W4–3New York GiantsShibe Park (1)W3–1Boston BravesShibe Park (1)W4–0Boston BravesBraves Field* (1)W9–1Brooklyn DodgersShibe Park (2)W5–2Brooklyn DodgersEbbets Field (3)L5–3New York GiantsPolo Grounds IV (4)L4–1Brooklyn DodgersConnie Mack Stadium (5)L4–2Pittsburgh PiratesForbes Field (6)W4–2New York GiantsConnie Mack Stadium (7)W8–6Brooklyn DodgersEbbets Field (8)L7–6Brooklyn DodgersConnie Mack Stadium (9)ND (W)5–4Cincinnati RedsCrosley Field (10)W2–1Cincinnati RedsConnie Mack Stadium (11)L9–4Cincinnati RedsCrosley Field (12)L6–2Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum (1)W12–4Cincinnati RedsCrosley Field (2)W2–1Cincinnati RedsConnie Mack Stadium (1)ND (W)5–3New York MetsConnie Mack Stadium (1)W2–0Houston AstrosAstrodome (2)ND (W)3–2 (12)St. Louis CardinalsBusch Stadium I (1)L4–2Chicago CubsWrigley Field (3)W2–0Los Angeles DodgersDodger Stadium (4)ND (L)7–6Chicago CubsWrigley Field (5)W2–0Chicago CubsConnie Mack Stadium (6)L4–2Pittsburgh PiratesThree Rivers Stadium (1)W4–2Chicago CubsWrigley Field (2)L3–0New York MetsShea Stadium (3)ND (W)5–4New York MetsVeterans Stadium (4)L2–1New York MetsShea Stadium* (1)ND (L)5–4Pittsburgh PiratesVeterans Stadium* (5)L4–3Montreal ExposVeterans Stadium* (6)L5–1St. Louis CardinalsVeterans Stadium (7)L8–1St. Louis CardinalsBusch Stadium II† (8)W6–3Montreal ExposVeterans Stadium* (9)ND (L)3–2Cincinnati RedsRiverfront Stadium (10)L7–2New York MetsVeterans Stadium§ (11)L2–0New York MetsShea Stadium (12)W5–0Atlanta BravesAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium (13)L6–0Atlanta BravesVeterans Stadium (14)L7–4Cincinnati RedsRiverfront Stadium (1)L6–0Atlanta BravesAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium (2)L5–3Pittsburgh PiratesVeterans Stadium (1)L5–3Chicago CubsWrigley Field (1)ND (L)2–1Chicago CubsWrigley Field (1)L2–1New York MetsShea Stadium (2)L4–3Chicago CubsVeterans Stadium§ (3)W3–1Houston AstrosAstrodome (1)ND (W)12–6Colorado RockiesMile High Stadium (2)ND (L)7–6St. Louis CardinalsBusch Stadium II (1)L5–3Colorado RockiesVeterans Stadium (3)W3–0Los Angeles DodgersDodger Stadium (4)ND (L)1–0 (14)New York MetsShea Stadium (5)W7–4Atlanta BravesTurner Field (1)L6–4Arizona DiamondbacksBank One Ballpark (1)ND (W)6–5 (13)Florida MarlinsPro Player Stadium (1)L7–2Atlanta BravesTurner Field (1)W8–5Florida MarlinsPro Player Stadium (2)L2–1Pittsburgh PiratesPNC Park (1)W8–4Washington NationalsCitizens Bank Park (2)L13–5St. Louis CardinalsCitizens Bank Park* (1)ND (L)5–3Atlanta BravesCitizens Bank Park† (2)ND (L)11–6Washington NationalsCitizens Bank Park§Brett Myers (3)L4–1Atlanta BravesCitizens Bank Park*Roy Halladay (1)W11–1Washington NationalsNationals Park*Roy Halladay (2)ND (W)5–4Houston AstrosCitizens Bank ParkRoy Halladay (3)W1–0Pittsburgh PiratesPNC Park (1)L7–5Atlanta BravesTurner Field (1)W14–10Texas RangersGlobe Life Park in Arlington (2)L8–0Boston Red SoxCitizens Bank Park (1)ND (L)2–6Cincinnati RedsGreat American Ball Park (2)W4–3Cincinnati RedsGreat American Ball Park (1)ND (L)5–8Atlanta BravesSunTrust Park (2)W10–4Atlanta BravesCitizens Bank Park (3)L2–5Miami MarlinsCitizens Bank Park ND (W)3–2 Atlanta BravesCitizens Bank Park§ W9–5Oakland AthleticsCitizens Bank Park* ND (L)7–11Texas RangersGlobe Life Field * ND (L)3–9Atlanta BravesCitizens Bank Park* ND (W)7–3 (10)Washington NationalsNationals ParkW5–3Texas RangersCitizens Bank Park

Footnotes In 1907, the Giants forfeited the opening day game to the Phillies, who won 3–0. In 1923, the opening day game ended in a tie with the Brooklyn Robins, 5–5. The teams played again the following day, with the Robins defeating the Phillies, 6–5. In 1924, the opening day game ended in a tie with the Boston Braves, 6–6. The teams played again the following day, with the Braves defeating the Phillies, 4–3, in 10 innings. In 1937, the Phillies played the Boston Braves in a doubleheader on Opening Day, winning both games. Reliever Syl Johnson started game one, but did not factor in the decision, as the game went to 11 innings. Starter Bucky Walters won game two.

See also List of Philadelphia Phillies seasons List of Philadelphia Phillies managers

References

External links Philadelphia Phillies official website