GAME RECAP: Rays Rout Phillies 10-1
The Rays jumped on Phillies right-hander Jerome Williams in the second inning Thursday in a
10-1 victory at Bright House Field. Logan Forsythe, Tim Beckham and Jake Elmore each singled with one out
to score a run. David DeJesus followed
two batters later with a three-run home run to right-center field. It was
DeJesus' second home run of the spring. Williams allowed nine hits, six runs
and struck out six in 5 2/3 innings.
NEXT GAME:
The Phillies host the Pirates in a pair of exhibition games
beginning Friday night at Citizens Bank Park, free on MLB.TV
at 7:05 p.m. ET. Right-hander Aaron Harang will make his final start of the spring.
He is scheduled to pitch the second game of the regular season for the Phillies
on April 8 against the Red Sox.
PHILS PHACTS:
Williams Frustrated By Latest Outing – Phillies
right-hander Jerome Williams is from
Hawaii, and he has the laid back personality of the tropical islands to match. Nothing
seems to bother the guy. But he was not happy following Thursday's start
against the Rays at Bright House Field. He allowed nine hits, six runs and one
home run with six strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Williams allowed 28 hits, 17
runs (14 earned runs) and two walks with 10 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings in his
final three Grapefruit League starts. "A little bit frustrated because I
know I'm better than that," Williams said. "It's just not acceptable.
In my eyes, it's not acceptable. It's just trying to do things the right way
every time, every inning. Right now that's not happening. It's going to happen.
I'm going to force it to happen." Next week at Citizens Bank Park he will
start the third or fourth game of the 2015 season. Williams said he is not
concerned about that next start, considering the way the last three went. "It's
all about just kicking myself in the butt and doing it right," he said.
"It's the first time you've actually heard me say that. I'm very hard on
myself right now. Whatever I need to do to get this thing right, I'm going to
do it." Also on Thursday, right-hander Chad Billingsley threw 40 pitches over three innings
in a Minor League game at the Carpenter Complex, allowing one hit and no runs
with one strikeout and no walks.
Making The Right (Field) Decision – Phillies
outfielder Grady Sizemore
started his third consecutive game in right field Thursday at Bright House
Field. It seems to point to Sizemore being the team's Opening Day right
fielder, although Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg declined to commit to him. Domonic Brown had been the presumed right fielder,
but he will open the season on the disabled list with left Achilles tendinitis.
"To read into it, he's definitely a candidate for right field as we go
forward here," Sandberg said about Sizemore. Seven of the team's eight
position players appear set for Monday's season opener against the Red Sox at
Citizens Bank Park: catcher Carlos Ruiz, first baseman Ryan Howard, second baseman Chase Utley, third baseman Cody Asche, shortstop Freddy Galvis, left fielder Ben Revere and center fielder Odubel Herrera. Sizemore is a lock to make the team
-- Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said as much Monday -- despite a
disappointing Spring Training. Sizemore entered Thursday hitting .200
(9-for-45) with three RBIs. That leaves eight players competing for a potential
six bench jobs with the Phillies carrying a sixth bench player until April 12,
when they need a No. 5 starter. Catcher Cameron Rupp and outfielder Darin Ruf are locks. Infielder Cesar Hernandez has had a poor spring, but he remains
a heavy favorite because he is out of options and the Phillies do not want to
risk losing him on waivers. Outfielder Jeff Francoeur has hit just .184
(7-for-38), but he remains a favorite because the Phillies do not have many
right-handed bats. Francoeur also has been a tremendous presence in the
clubhouse this spring, and that is something the front office and coaching
staff might want in what could be a challenging season. Outfielder Jordan Danks and infielders Andres Blanco, Russ Canzler and Cord Phelps figure to be battling
for the final two jobs, which becomes one job come April 12. Blanco might be
fourth on that list. It is hard to read which way the Phillies are leaning with
the other three, although Phelps has had the best spring, offensively, of the
three. Phelps, who is a non-roster invitee, entered Thursday hitting .310
(13-for-42) with one double, one triple, one home run, six RBIs and nine walks.
Canzler, who also is a non-roster invitee, is hitting .279 (12-for-43) with two
doubles, one homer, four RBIs and one walk. Danks, who is on the 40-man roster
and has options remaining, is hitting .268 (11-for-41) with two doubles, one
home run, five RBIs and six walks.
Giles Ready For Opening Day – Phillies
setup man Ken Giles said he
remains on course to be on the Opening Day roster. He played catch again
Thursday morning at Bright House Field, less than 48 hours after he had to
leave Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays because of a mildly strained back.
The Phillies and Giles said they think he will be ready to go Monday, when the
Phillies play the Red Sox at Citizens Bank Park. "I let it loose,"
Giles said. "No pain. No nothing." Giles said he is not sure if he
will pitch in the team's exhibition games against the Pirates on Friday and
Saturday in Philadelphia, but the Phillies said they would like to see him
throw off a mound at least once before putting him on the active roster.
Focusing On Philly – It
became the standard joke every time Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels made another Spring Training start and
moved closer and closer to Monday's Opening Day start at Citizens Bank Park. It
went something like this: Hey, Hamels is starting Opening Day. Ah, but for
what team? Ba-dum-bump. Hamels arrived to Phillies camp in February already
the subject of incessant trade speculation because the Phillies are trying to
dismantle and rebuild their team in an attempt to compete again in a few years.
But the talk really picked up when he told USA Today he wants to win and,
"I know it's not going to happen here." Hamels never recanted, but he
backed away from those words, understanding he is going to be in a Phillies
uniform until somebody tells him otherwise. In other words, he needs to make
the best of the situation. He also appreciates the Phillies and the fans, and
everything that has happened to him in his career. The Phillies selected him in
the first round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft. He won a World Series in
2008. He signed a six-year, $144 million contract extension in 2012. He has a
home outside Philadelphia. Hamels does not want to disrespect anybody. If he is
going to leave, he wants to leave on good terms. So he has dodged, ducked, dipped
and dived at nearly every question this spring about his uncertain future.
Asked Wednesday if it will feel funny pitching against the Red Sox on Opening
Day, considering Boston is often mentioned as a landing spot for Hamels because
the Phillies covet Boston's top prospects, he said, "No, we knew we were
going to face the Red Sox. When did they come out with the schedule? August?
September? "This is where I am, and this is what I'm doing," he said.
"To be able to pitch at Citizens Bank [Park] is going to be the vision I
had. For what it is and what people want to make it, it doesn't affect me. I'm
just happy enough that I get to go pitch and get guys out and try to pitch a
full season." Other teams have expressed serious interest in Hamels, including
the Padres, Rangers and Blue Jays. Maybe one of those teams (or the always
exciting mystery team) finally makes the offer the Phillies want to trade their
ace. Maybe it happens in the offseason. Maybe it happens next year or beyond.
In the meantime, Hamels will pitch for a team moving in an unfamiliar
direction. This is the first time Hamels has opened the season with the
Phillies not expected to compete for the postseason. In fact, many think this
team could lose 100 games for the first time since 1961, when it lost 107.
"I have no control over a certain direction," Hamels said. "An
organization, they have a bigger picture that they have to worry about. As a
player, we really have to take the straight and narrow approach. We have a job
to do, people are counting on us, and I think that's kind of what an
organization, an upper management, has to worry about is what players are going
to be accountable, what direction can we go with what we have. I'm just one
piece of the puzzle, and as long as I can go out and do what they expect, then
I'm fulfilling my end of the bargain."
Speed
At The Top – Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said nobody should read anything
into Thursday's lineup at Bright House Field. He said Monday following an 18-4
loss to the Pirates that he hoped to play his Opening Day lineup at least once
before next Monday's season opener against the Red Sox at Citizens Bank Park.
So Thursday's lineup appeared to offer some clues with the exception of backup
catcher Cameron Rupp playing
over Carlos Ruiz. Left
fielder Ben Revere and center
fielder Odubel Herrera hit
first and second, respectively, which made sense. "It's a possible
combination," Sandberg said. Revere and Herrera both offer speed and the
possibility of respectable on-base percentages atop the lineup. Revere hit .306
with a .325 on-base percentage and 49 stolen bases last season. Herrera, who is
a Rule 5 Draft pick, won batting titles in the Double-A Texas League and
Venezuelan Winter League. He entered Thursday hitting .328 with a .355 on-base
percentage in the Grapefruit League. "[Freddy] Galvis is another guy in
the No. 2 spot," Sandberg said. "He's another option depending on
that day's lineup." Galvis has hit .218 with a .259 on-base percentage in
550 career plate appearances with the Phillies. He has hit .246 with a .291
on-base percentage in 2,631 plate appearances in the Minor Leagues. Asked if
Galvis has enough hitting ability to warrant the No. 2 spot, Sandberg said,
"Playing the game the right way. Setting up base runners, moving the
runners and doing some things for the three, four, five hitters. That's what
Freddy has done so well this spring. He fits that mold very well, too." But
the occasional opportunity to potentially advance a base runner might not
benefit the lineup as a whole. The No. 2 hitter in baseball last season
averaged 731.8 plate appearances per team. The No. 8 hitter averaged 628 plate
appearances. That is a difference of 103.8 plate appearances in a season. Those
plate appearances could be the difference between an extra run here or there,
depending on the hitters in those spots. Galvis has hit a bit better this
spring. He entered Thursday hitting .288 with a .309 on-base percentage. If he
can keep up that pace, perhaps some time hitting second works. But if he hits
like he has in the past, that spot might be better reserved for Revere, Herrera
or somebody else more productive. Only time will tell, but right now Sandberg
said not to read into anything.
Sandberg
Discusses Spring – The Phillies had a remarkably troubling finish to their Grapefruit
League season. They lost Thursday afternoon to the Rays at Bright House Field,
10-1, to finish 1-7-1 in their last nine games. They were outscored 72-27 in
that stretch. "Yeah," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said, when asked
if that finish was troubling. "That's why I'm glad we have a couple games
there in Philadelphia to straighten that out. We can still have a couple good
games and start off on a different note than it has been the past week." Sandberg
expressed his frustration Monday following an 18-4 loss to the Pirates in
Bradenton, Fla. But asked if he planned to speak to the team, he said he had
not thought about it. It is unclear if he will talk to them before Monday's
season opener against the Red Sox at Citizens Bank Park, but clearly the spring
has done nothing to change opinions that the Phillies are at the beginning of a
long rebuilding season. "Today's game wasn't a good game on the effort
side of things," Sandberg said. "I think traveling to Philadelphia,
and a little change of scenery and really getting after the two exhibition
games … we need those two games to really get ready for Opening Day." The
Phillies finished 12-17-2 this spring. "We did show some good things the
first 20 games or so," Sandberg said. Howard's spring struggles:
The Phillies were optimistic about Ryan Howard entering camp. He appeared to be in his
best shape in years, and he also has some serious family issues behind him. The
Phillies hoped a healthier Howard with a clearer mind would bounce back in
2015. Howard went 0-for-3 Thursday to finish the spring hitting .171
(12-for-70) with three doubles, three home runs, nine RBIs, four walks and 24
strikeouts. "You know what?" Sandberg said. "He's put in the
work. He's done everything that's been asked. Hopefully all of that will pay
off in the season. He's in a good place as far as his stance. He's done a lot
of extra hitting. I think he has more bat speed than he had all of last year.
So I look forward to those things to click and I look for him to hopefully get
off to a good start and a good season."
Identity
Crisis (Again) – For
the second year in a row, with Spring Training coming to a close, Jonathan
Papelbon has forgotten who he is. When the pitcher entered the ninth inning of
Wednesday's Phillies-Rays
Spring Training game, he took the mound not as
himself, but as catcher Carlos Ruiz. It was a repeat of last March,
and we remain filled with questions. What is it about the end of Spring
Training that sends Papelbon into a blistering loss of identity? Perhaps
this is merely an annual, temporary "Freaky Friday"-esque body swap.
Or perhaps the two are attempting to fuse into a one-body battery tandem named
PapelRuiz, and they can only do it with a certain number of hours until the
season begins each year. We just hope he remembers that he is 34-year-old
Jonathan Robert Papelbon from Baton Rouge, La., and not 36-year-old Carlos
Joaquin Ruiz from Chiriqui, Panama, in time for the Phillies' opener on April
6.
Hooters
Sighting – You
might not have heard of Odubel Herrera yet, but the Phillies center fielder has
been making a (new) name for himself down at Spring Training. Herrera, who used
to go by "David" (Odubel is his middle name), is trying out a new
position. Previously an infielder, he's set to patrol center field for the
Phils on Opening Day as the club moved Ben Revere and his impressive glove over
to left. If Herrera's .328 Spring Training average this year didn't get your
attention, his recent warmup outfit surely will. Clearwater, Fla., is the
home of Phillies Spring Training and the birthplace of Hooters. Hooters
girls actually patrol foul territory
for the Phils at Bright House Field, so it's not entirely shocking that Herrera
was able to snag one of the shirts. Suns out guns out, amirite?
Remembering
Schilling’s Unceremonious Arrival – Heading into the 1992 season, Curt
Schilling was a 25-year-old pitcher who had already spent time with three Major
League franchises and started a total of five big league games. He'd amassed a
5-11 record and maintained a 4.15 ERA. Then
he became a Phillie.
The Phillies sent Jason Grimsley to
the Astros for Schilling, straight-up, on April 2, 1992. Over the next nine --
well, eight-and-a-half -- seasons, Schilling threw 61 complete games for the
Fightin's on his way to 101 wins and a 3.35 ERA. During the Phils' magical
1993 season, Schilling won half of his starts in the regular season and proved
he could hang with the best of them in October, shutting out the Blue Jays in
Game 5 of the World Series. He threw 147 pitches and only faced 33 batters. In
'98, Schilling led MLB with 15 complete games and 268 2/3 innings pitched. It
was his second straight 300-strikeout season and marked the second of three
All-Star appearances while he was with the Phillies. We all know how this
story ends, though: The Phils traded Schilling to the D-backs in 2000 for
Travis Lee, Omar Daal, Vicente Padilla and Nelson Figeroa. Schilling helped the
D-backs to the '01 World Series, then took his talents to the Red Sox (the team
that drafted him in 1986) where he and his bloody sock became a part of
baseball lore. During the 2013 season, the Phillies inducted Schilling onto the
Wall of Fame at Citizens Bank Park. He used the opportunity to speak
afffectionately about his time in the City of Brotherly Love.
THE BEGINNING
After
ending 2014 with a 73-89 record, there second consecutive losing season, the
Phillies are currently tied for first place for the 2015 season. Given the
departures, aging stars, injuries, and performance this spring, don’t expect
their competitive place in the standings to last. All time, the Phillies are 6-5-0
on this day.
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