PHILADELPHIA — Four months ago, Mick Abel took the mound at Citizens Bank Park for his dazzling major-league debut and beat out Pirates ace Paul Skenes in a 1-0 Phillies win. Since that memorable start on May 18, the right-hander’s surroundings have changed and the game has not been so forgiving to him.
But in his final outing of the season, Abel will be back where it all started, facing his old team as a Minnesota Twin on Saturday in Philadelphia to close the book on his rookie year.
“It’ll be special,” Abel said Friday from the visitors’ clubhouse.