EXHIBITION GAME
RECAP: Phils Edge
Prospects 6-5
Cesar Hernandez hit
a walk-off single to lead the Phillies to a 6-5 victory over the Futures team,
comprised of some of the organization's best prospects, at Citizens Bank Park
on Saturday. And the good news continued for the Phils, because if they're
looking for an outfielder at some point this season, Nick Williams did
what he could to make sure the front office will remember him. Williams, part
of the Cole Hamels deal
with Texas last July, had a home run, a double and three RBIs for the Futures
team. The 22-year-old is rated the organization's No. 3 prospect by
MLBPipeline.com. He'll open this season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. After
joining the organization last year, he batted .320 with four homers and 10 RBIs
in 22 games at Double-A Reading. Williams came up with one out and No. 1 prospect J.P. Crawford on
first in the first inning and drove in the first run of the game with a booming
double to center. He had sacrifice fly in the second and homered to lead off
the fifth, breaking a 3-3 tie. All of Williams' at-bats came against veteran Charlie Morton,
who will be the Phillies' No. 3 starter this season. Morton pitched 4 2/3
innings in his final tuneup, allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks
while striking out three. Right-hander Jake Thompson, the No. 2-ranked
prospect, started for the Futures team. The 22-year-old,
who was also part of the Hamels trade, held the Phillies to three runs in his
five innings, allowing eight hits but also striking out four. The Phillies got
on the board in the first with an RBI single by Darin Ruf and an
RBI double by Ryan Howard,
and Freddy Galvis added
an RBI double in the second, all with Thompson pitching. Rhys Hoskins hit a
solo homer in the top of the eighth for the Futures team to bring the score to
5-3. In the bottom of the ninth, though, Ruf tied things up with a two-run
double, and Hernandez delivered in the next at-bat for the walk-off victory.
PHILS PHACTS:
- To make room
for Hunter, Burriss and Russell on the 40-man roster, left-handers Matt Harrison (back/disc injury) and Mario Hollands (Tommy John surgery) and
outfielder Aaron Altherr (left wrist surgery) were placed
on the 60-day disabled list. In addition, right-hander Michael Mariot (right ankle strain) and
outfielder Cody Asche (right oblique strain) were
placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to March 25.
- Eickhoff will
start the fourth game of the season and Velasquez the fifth against the
Mets, Mackanin said. Hellickson will start on Opening Day against the Reds on Monday
followed by Nola on Wednesday and Morton on Thursday.
- Two notable
releases from Minor League camp include left-hander Ken Roberts, who was claimed
on waivers from the Rockies last season and made six big league relief
appearances for Philly in September and October, and right-hander Greg
Burke, a 33-year-old South Jersey native who was in big league camp this
spring as a non-roster player. Burke has pitched 80 games in the big
leagues for the Padres and Mets.
NEXT
GAME:
Veteran right-hander Jeremy Hellickson will make the first Opening Day
start of
his career Monday when the Phillies play the Reds at Great American Ball Park.
First pitch is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET. "It's definitely going to be
different," Hellickson said. "The emotions are going to be high. The
atmosphere is going to be crazy. The adrenaline is going to be flowing, and I'm
going to be really excited. I'm grateful for the opportunity, and I'm looking
forward to it." Outfielder Cedric Hunter, 28, is expected to make his
first big league start after coming to camp as a
non-roster player.
PHILS PHACTS:
Hunter Makes The Cut – He
didn't sign until a month before Spring Training. It was a Minor League deal,
he was a 28-year-old non-roster invitee, the kind of guy who doesn't get much
attention on his way in the door -- or on the way out, either, when he's just
another name on the list of players assigned to the complex. Then a funny thing
happened to Cedric Hunter. He hit a walk-off homer to beat the Braves in a
Grapefruit League game. He had a great at-bat against the Rays, fouling off a
pitch in the dirt to protect the runner on a hit-and-run. Aaron
Altherr, who had been penciled in as the everyday right fielder,
got hurt. Springs often reveal a surprise, a Cinderella player, a heart-warming
tale. This year, Hunter was it. Not only did Hunter, whose entire big league
resume consists of six games for the Padres in 2011, make the Phillies' Opening
Day roster, but he's also projected to be one of manager Pete Mackanin's
regular outfielders, along with Odubel Herrera and Peter Bourjos. The only other remaining outfielder
is Rule 5 pick Tyler Goeddel; infielders Emmanuel Burriss and Darin Ruf could
also play in the outfield if needed. "It's great news. I'm very humbled by
it," Hunter said before going 2-for-5 as the Phillies closed out the
exhibition season with a 6-5
walk-off win over a Futures team made up of some of
the Phillies' best prospects Saturday afternoon at Citizens Bank
Park. This is the best opportunity Hunter has ever had, even though he batted
.288 in 1,151 Minor League games, and he isn't afraid to admit that he got
discouraged at times. "I didn't just all the way want to give up,"
Hunter said. "But there were times I definitely had my doubts. I just know
how this game is. Sometimes you can have good years, and it's just about the
situation of the team and what they want to do, and it's never really a fair
situation. And you can't control it. "A lot of things go through your mind
when you put up some good years and don't get called up. In the Braves
situation [in 2014 and '15], where they really needed help, not to get called
up with them and them being my hometown and everything is definitely a
letdown." Hunter had targeted the Phillies because he liked the way they
gave players chances last season. For his part, Mackanin came in with no
preconceived notions. "He surprised me," the manager said. "I
didn't really know much about him. I know he was a perennial .280-plus Triple-A
hitter. I didn't know what kind of defender he was, but I found out he's a good
defensive player, and I like his aggressive approach at the plate. He gives you
quality at-bats and doesn't care if it's lefty or righty." Hunter has been
around long enough to understand that he has written a nice opening chapter and
that it's still up to him to furnish a happy ending. "To be realistic,
it's just beginning," he said. "I haven't proved myself at all on
this level yet. So everybody's giving me congrats and I'm happy about that, but
in the back of my mind, I'm like, 'Look, this is just the beginning. I've really
got to go out and prove myself and show that I'm ready to be here.'"
Phils Finalize Roster – Before
getting on the plane taking them to Cincinnati, where their regular season will
begin at Great American Ball Park on Monday (4:10 p.m. ET), the Phillies
formally finalized their Opening Day roster. Making the team are both Rule 5
Draft picks (outfielder Tyler Goeddel,
left-hander Daniel Stumpf)
and three players who had come to camp as non-roster invitees (outfielder
Cedric Hunter, infielder/outfielder Emmanuel Burriss and left-hander James Russell).
The composition of the 25-man roster became largely apparent late Friday night
with the announcement that four players -- right-handers Andrew Bailey and Ernesto Frieri,
catcher J.P. Arencibia and outfielder Will Venable -- had been reassigned to Minor League camp. The biggest
surprise was that Bailey, the 2009 American League Rookie of the Year who is
coming back from reconstructive right shoulder surgery, was among those sent
out. The announcement came shortly after he had pitched two hitless innings
against the Orioles on Friday. "It's frustrating because they told me I
pitched good enough to make the team, but yet they sent me to Triple-A,"
Bailey said Saturday morning. "So we'll see what happens. I'll go down, do
my thing and hopefully get an opportunity soon." Bailey, who missed the
entire 2014 season, worked his way through the Yankees' farm system last season
and made 10 relief appearances in the big leagues down the stretch. He signed a
Minor League contract with the Phillies last December. "You've got to take
the good with the bad," Bailey said. "I'm not the first guy it's
going to happen to, and I'm not the last guy it's going to happen to. No one's
bigger than the game. Although players think they deserve to be in the big
leagues or whatever, sometimes you've got to put your time in. "I'm back,
you know? I pitched in the big leagues last year. In my opinion, I had one bad
[Grapefruit League] outing. I know how to pitch. I've played for a long time. I
thought I was going to hear differently, but that's the way the business side
of things works." Manager Pete Mackanin indicated recently that he'd like
to see Bailey, 31, show a little more velocity. But the reality is that, since
the pitcher has a May 1 opt-out clause, he's likely to be in the big leagues
sooner rather than later if he gets off to a good start at Triple-A Lehigh
Valley. "It'll be fine," Bailey said. "It's going to be a fun
year [for the Phillies], and hopefully, at some point, I'll be part of
it." Here's a complete look at the roster: Rotation: Jeremy Hellickson (RHP); Aaron Nola (RHP); Charlie Morton (RHP); Jerad Eickhoff (RHP); Vince Velasquez (RHP). Bullpen: David Hernandez (RHP); Dalier Hinojosa (RHP); Brett Oberholtzer (LHP); Jeanmar Gomez (RHP); Hector Neris (RHP); Stumpf; Russell. Catchers: Cameron Rupp; Carlos Ruiz. Infielders: Ryan Howard; Darin Ruf; Cesar Hernandez;
Freddy Galvis;
Maikel Franco;
Andres Blanco;
Burriss. Outfielders: Odubel Herrera;
Peter Bourjos;
Hunter; Goeddel.
Bailey And Others Reassigned – Right-handers Andrew Bailey and Ernesto Frieri,
catcher J.P. Arencibia and
outfielder Will Venable have been reassigned to Minor League camp. The moves
were announced after Friday night's 8-7 loss to
the Orioles at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies open the regular season against the Reds on Monday
at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. The team will fly to Cincinnati
after Saturday afternoon's final exhibition game against the Phillies' Futures
team. Manager Pete Mackanin had said prior to the game that Bailey, the South
Jersey native and 2009 American League Rookie of the Year Award winner who is
trying to make a comeback from a series of injuries, had a pivotal appearance
against Baltimore. The 31-year-old reliever came in to pitch the seventh and
got Pedro Alvarez to
ground into a double play after Julio Borbon led off with a walk. He struck out
Xavier Avery to end the frame. He then pitched a perfect eighth. Bailey went
2-1 with a 4.50 ERA in nine spring appearances. Over 10 innings, he struck out
10 batters and walked one. Six of his outings were scoreless. Mackanin stressed
that he isn't writing Bailey off. "We just need to see a little bit
more," Mackanin said. "We need him to go down there and improve his
command. He's a little bit behind for whatever reason. We'd just like to see
him pitch a little better. That's what it boils down to. "You know how
this works. We're going to see plenty of guys up and down. At this point, we
feel he's capable of pitching in the Major Leagues. He's proven it. He needs a
little bit of fine-tuning." All four were non-roster players who are on
Minor League contracts. Mackanin said each has a chance to make a contribution
this season. He mentioned that Venable was fighting an uphill battle because he
didn't sign until March 28 after being released by the Indians. "We just
haven't seen enough of Venable," Mackanin said. "We've seen him in
the past, but he just got here so late that he's going to go down to Triple-A
[Norfolk] and get some at bats. We've got flexibility with a lot of
players." While the Phillies have 31 players remaining, they are expected
to officially announce their final roster Saturday, but Friday night's
transactions seem to leave just 25 healthy players: Pitchers (12): Jeremy Hellickson, Aaron Nola, Charlie Morton, Jerad Eickhoff, Vince Velasquez, David Hernandez, Brett Oberholtzer, James Russell, Jeanmar Gomez, Hector Neris, Daniel Stumpf and Dalier Hinojosa;
Catchers (2): Carlos Ruiz, Cameron Rupp; Infielders
(7): Ryan Howard, Darin Ruf, Cesar Hernandez, Maikel Franco, Freddy Galvis, Emmanuel Burriss, Andres Blanco; Outfielders
(4): Odubel Herrera, Peter Bourjos, Tyler Goeddel, Cedric
Hunter. Of course, that could change with a trade, waiver wire acquisition or
injury.
Beginning And Ending - Phildelphia became one of the stops during Jay Johnstone's journey through baseball when they signed him in 1974. Dale Murphy, hampered by injuries, only played a handful of games after the Phillies released him on this day in 1993. And in 2011 the Phillies opened the season with their first three game sweep since 1899... if only the season ended the same way that it began.
THE BEGINNING:
The
Phillies have an impressive record this spring… 15-11-3 (18-11-3 if you include
the exhibition games against Reading and the University of Tampa). With the
Phillies having finished the 2015 season with a spectacularly awful record of
63-99 it will be interesting to see what kind of team new President Andy
MacPhail and GM Matt Klentak put on the field. At the same time I am definitely
looking forward to the games against Boston with former GM Ruben Amaro on the
field. Given the departures, lingering contracts, a history of injuries,
bipolar performances, and unproven talent, it should, at the very least,
be an interesting season for the Phillies. Who knows, maybe they can avoid 100
losses... hopefully by more than one game!
No comments:
Post a Comment