Only A Few Spots Remain With Less Than A Week To Go!

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Exhibition Game Washed Away

Did Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka do enough? Yankees manager Joe Girardi challenged his starter before Tuesday afternoon's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies at Bright House Field, which was called after the fourth inning because of rain. Tanaka entered the game with a 7.36 ERA in his first four starts, and Girardi wanted to see better before he named him the Opening Day starter. Tanaka allowed seven hits, one run, one walk and struck out five in four innings, and he threw in the bullpen during the delay to extend his pitch count. Phillies left-hander Brett Oberholtzer allowed seven runs in four innings. Yankees first baseman Dustin Ackley hit a three-run homer in the first. Miguel Andujar hit a two-run homer in the fourth. Darin Ruf singled in the first to score the Phillies' only run.

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson starts the Phillies' final Grapefruit League game on Wednesday at 1:05 p.m. ET, facing the Houston Astros at Bright House Field. It will be the final tuneup for Hellickson before he starts on Opening Day in Cincinnati on Monday.

PHILS PHACTS:

One Less Option – The Phillies released Edward Mujica on Tuesday to tighten their bullpen competition. Mujica signed a Minor League contract with Philadelphia in December, and he pitched well this spring. He had a 2.16 ERA in seven Grapefruit League appearances, allowing four hits, two runs, two walks and striking out seven in 8 1/3 innings. Opponents hit .154 against him. But the Phillies like their other options better. "They told me I'm free to go," Mujica said. Mujica's release leaves nine healthy relievers in camp. Right-handers David Hernandez, Dalier Hinojosa and Jeanmar Gomez and left-hander Brett Oberholtzer are locks. Rule 5 Draft pick Daniel Stumpf looks like a lock, too. The Phillies love his arm, and they must keep him on the 25-man roster or risk losing him. Non-roster invitees James Russell (3.38 ERA in six appearances), Andrew Bailey (5.14 ERA in seven) and Ernesto Frieri (6.75 ERA in six) remain in camp. Hector Neris (6.23 ERA in eight appearances) is on the 40-man roster, and he also remains. Unless the Phillies acquire somebody before Opening Day, those four are fighting for the final two bullpen jobs. Russell has the edge on one of those spots. Manager Pete Mackanin said the other day that there is a good possibility the team will carry three left-handers in the bullpen. Frieri can exercise an out clause on Thursday, but only if he has a spot on a 25-man roster elsewhere, and that is highly unlikely. Bailey has a May 1 out clause; Mackanin has been lukewarm, at best, about his past three appearances. It is not a stretch to think Frieri and Bailey could open the season in Triple-A and Neris works his way onto the team. Neris has not pitched well this spring, but he had a 3.79 ERA in 32 appearances last season. Mackanin has said that although Grapefruit League performances are important, he will consider regular-season performances, too. Mujica activated an out clause in his contract when the Phillies did not add him to the Opening Day roster by midnight ET Sunday. They then had 48 hours to make a final decision on him. The Phils called Mujica into Mackanin's office on Tuesday morning to inform him of his release. The Phillies saved $100,000 in the process. Article XX-B free agents with six or more years of Major League service time who sign Minor League contracts must be placed on the 25-man roster or released five days before the regular season. If the team does neither, choosing to instead send the player to the Minor Leagues, the team must pay him a $100,000 retention bonus. Mujica could re-sign with the Phils and open the season in Triple-A if he cannot find a big league job elsewhere. "I'll have to see," Mujica said. "Pete told me I'm going to have pretty good chances if I go to Triple-A, in getting back to the big leagues."

Venable In, Asche Out? – Will Venable has five games to prove himself and win a job on the Phillies' Opening Day roster. Venable arrived in camp on Tuesday morning after Philadelphia signed him to a Minor League contract on Monday. Venable, 33, hit .133 in 13 Cactus League games with the Indians, who released him on Sunday, but he has a chance to make the Phillies, as they have few other options in the outfield. He went 1-for-2 before the Phillies' Grapefruit League game against the Yankees was cancelled because of rain. "I have no expectations," Venable said. "I'm just in camp right now. If it means I have to go to Triple-A and prove myself there -- whatever it takes -- I know that at some point I would like to be here contributing at the big league level." Outfielders Aaron Altherr and Cody Asche will open the season on the disabled list. Altherr had surgery on his left wrist this month, which will sideline him until July at the earliest. Asche has not played a game this spring because of a strained right oblique. He aggravated the injury the other day, essentially resetting his recovery to the very beginning, and he could miss another several weeks. "It's just giving it more time to heal," Asche said. "Obviously, the time frame we had last time wasn't enough. This time we've just got to be a little more cautious." The Phillies re-assigned outfielder David Lough and infielder Ryan Jackson to Minor League camp on Tuesday, leaving Venable and non-roster invitees Cedric Hunter and Emmanuel Burriss the final three candidates for the final two bench jobs. Burriss has a good shot because he can play the infield and outfield, and at the moment, the only utility infielder is Andres Blanco. Manager Pete Mackanin has hinted that he likes the flexibility Burriss provides when it comes to maneuvering the lineup during National League games with double switches, etc. Hunter has impressed nearly everybody in camp. In fact, Mackanin said that if Hunter makes the team, he could be his leadoff hitter. The fact that he has been in camp from the beginning and earned the right to be in the conversation for a bench job will play a factor, Mackanin said. "Hunter has had the best at-bats of anybody other than [Maikel Franco] in camp, in my opinion," Mackanin said. "I'll put it that way." Venable posted a .669 OPS in 390 plate appearances last season with the Padres and Rangers. He had a .613 OPS in 448 plate appearances with San Diego in 2014 but posted a solid .796 OPS with the Padres in '13. "I'm not far off," he said. Venable also can play all three outfield positions, which makes him attractive to the Phillies. "There was mutual interest," he said. "I got released in the morning, and by the afternoon ... we had some momentum going on a possible deal." Venable knows the Philadelphia area relatively well. He played basketball and baseball at Princeton, and played a few games at The Palestra. "Not good memories at The Palestra," Venable said. "I think we blew, like, a 15-point lead in the last minute of a game one time. But great venue."

Closer Spot Still Up For Grabs – If the Phillies have a three-run lead in the ninth inning on Opening Day in Cincinnati, somebody will have to pitch to protect it. Will it be their closer? Do they even have a closer? "You'll find out," general manager Matt Klentak said on Tuesday afternoon at Bright House Field. "So will I." This is the first time in more than 15 years the Phillies have not entered the season with an established closer. In years past, it has been Jonathan Papelbon, Ryan Madson, Brad Lidge, Tom Gordon, Billy Wagner and Jose Mesa. This season it could be David Hernandez or Dalier Hinojosa or ... somebody else. "It's up in the air," manager Pete Mackanin said. "You guys see what we see. Hinojosa is still a candidate. Hernandez is a candidate. After that we might have to use a committee situation. It is what it is, and we have to try to find somebody that can do it." It has been an interesting spring in that regard. Hernandez began camp as the favorite because he signed a one-year, $3.9 million contract in the offseason, making him the only free agent the Phillies inked to a Major League deal. But Hernandez started the spring slowly because of soreness in his right elbow. He is healthy, but he has pitched in only three Grapefruit League games. Tuesday's appearance was cancelled because of rain. Hinojosa had a 0.78 ERA in 18 appearances last season. He has a 4.50 ERA in seven appearances this spring, although he allowed two hits and two runs in one inning on Monday against the Blue Jays. "That's probably the worst outing that we've all seen from him," Mackanin said. "I think he was overthrowing all of his pitches. I think he might have been auditioning for that role." Right-hander Andrew Bailey emerged as a favorite early in camp, based on four scoreless innings in four appearances, but Mackanin has not been enamored with Bailey's past three performances, and Bailey could open the season in Triple-A. "I don't have a rooting interest in this," Klentak said. "I want the best seven guys in the bullpen to get outs. Sometimes declaring who pitches the ninth allows who pitches the eighth and who pitches the seventh to kind of fall into place a little bit better. I understand the way that works. But ultimately, we're looking for the best combination of relievers to get outs toward the end of the game." Mackanin will not name a closer unless he is "100 percent sure about somebody that I want to call a closer." "I'm not going to call anybody a closer," he said. "A closer is somebody that you can count on for the ninth inning. I don't know if we probably have one. I hope we have one, but I'm not going to name one right now just to call a guy a closer. It doesn't really mean anything."

Big Piece Not So Big Anymore – Ryan Howard is struggling at the plate, going 0-for-2 with two strikeouts on Tuesday. Since hitting a grand slam over the batter's eye at Bright House Field on March 18, he is 2-for-19 with one double, two walks and 11 strikeouts. That does not include a 1-for-5 effort with four strikeouts in a Minor League game on Sunday at Carpenter Complex. "Yeah, I'd like to see better at-bats," Mackanin said. Howard entered camp with the opportunity to earn more playing time, but it looks as though he and Darin Ruf will be platooning at first base. "Let's put it this way: I need to see more," Mackanin said. "More production. In his defense, [Howard is] behind everybody, [because] he was sick for a week. I'd like to think he caught up. I think he's caught up. This is performance. We have to get performance. Numbers matter."

Say Hello To The X Factor – It took Matt Klentak just a couple months to make his first bold move with the Phillies. The new general manager traded Ken Giles and Minor League infielder Jonathan Arauz to Houston for five pitchers: right-handers Vince Velasquez, Mark Appel, Thomas Eshelman and Harold Arauz and left-hander Brett Oberholtzer. The Phillies badly wanted Velasquez in the deal, and Monday they named him their No. 5 starter. "We like Velasquez's power arm," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. Velasquez is the Phillies' X factor in 2016. The Phillies see big-time potential in Velasquez because of his stuff. If he pitches as advertised this season, the Phillies' rotation could set up nicely for the future, particularly if Aaron Nola and Jerad Eickhoff pick up where they finished as rookies last year. Going into 2017 believing in Nola, Eickhoff and Velasquez would give the Phillies more room for error with prospects like Jake Thompson, Zach Eflin and Appel. Now, nobody seems to be expecting Velasquez to make 33 starts this season. He pitched just 88 2/3 innings last season and pitched a career-high 124 2/3 innings in 2013. The Phillies want to be careful with him. They need to keep him healthy. The original four-player return for Giles included Houston outfield prospect Derek Fisher, but Appel and Arauz were late additions after sources said the Phillies had concerns about Velasquez's physical. Velasquez had Tommy John surgery on Sept. 22, 2010. "I'm healthy as an ox," Velasquez said. No issues with his shoulder? "I've never had any problems with my shoulder," he said. "Any type of soreness I've had was in the biceps or triceps. Nothing in the shoulder." That is a good thing. Because for the Phillies to speed up their rebuild, they need Velasquez to pay off. That does not mean he needs to immediately be one of the top young pitchers in the National League. But he needs to show he belongs. He needs to show there is no doubt he is part of the Phillies' future. That is why the Phillies insisted on getting him, after all.

Phillies Have An Impressive Collection – This year's Spring Training is the first time that the Phillies have been able to observe their impressive collection of top prospects, many acquired in the past year. Though the organization is trying to temper expectations, there's still a palpable excitement in camp regarding the future of the club. "This is the most talent we've had in the four years I've been here," said Phillies director of player development Joe Jordan. "We got to see all of our big prospects -- J.P. Crawford, Roman Quinn, Nick Williams, Jorge Alfaro, Andrew Knapp, Mark Appel, Zach Eflin andJake Thompson -- together in big league camp this year, and they all represented themselves very well. There are a lot of good things happening." The aforementioned core of Phils prospects all enter 2016 with at least some upper-level experience, and many of them -- save for Appel, who came over from the Astros in the Ken Giles trade during the offseason -- have already played together after finishing last season at Double-A Reading. "A lot of those guys were together in Double-A last year, so they kind of formed that kind of cohesive, team unit," said Jordan. "It gave them all some level of comfort to be together in big league camp at the same time. "Right now, it's just about keeping them all healthy and building them up for the season, because we have a chance to put some really good [Minor League] rosters together." Camp standouts: MLBPipeline.com No. 99 overall prospect Roman Quinn has proved to be a dynamic player when healthy. However, the 2015 season marked the third straight injury-shortened campaign for the 22-year-old outfielder, who was in the midst of a breakout performance (.306/.356/.435, 29 SB) when he suffered a tear in his hip flexor on June 12 while he attempted to beat out an infield single. Now fully recovered from the injury, Quinn impressed club officials with his showing this year in his first big league camp, hitting .300 with one home run, three triples and two steals. "He's really stood out," said Jordan. "He hit a home run and big two-out single with a couple RBIs and a stolen bag the other day, and he was doing that in the big league camp all spring. He had some days there where you really saw what he has a chance to do." The Phillies have also liked what they've seen so far from Alfaro, MLBPipeline.com's No. 96 overall prospect, as he's impressed club officials with his exceptional tools on both sides of the ball after missing most of the 2015 season with an ankle injury. In his first Spring Training with the Phils, the 22-year-old backstop went 5-for-17 (.294) with a pair of RBIs before he was sent to Minor League camp. "We're still getting to know him because he didn't get to play at all last year with us. His strengths are easy to see -- the power, the arm strength -- but the weaknesses and what he needs from us, that's all still evolving. He needs some work defensively, but he gives a great effort and works very hard behind the plate. He's an impressive young man," said Jordan. Breakout candidates: After a mediocre full-season debut, Dylan Cozens didn't rank among the Phillies' Top 30 prospects headed into 2015. But the former 2012 second-rounder bounced back last season against advanced competition, compiling a solid .286/.336/.426 batting line and finishing the year with a strong showing at Double-A Reading. He continued to make strides during the offseason in the Puerto Rican Winter League, and he enters 2016 ranked as the Phils' No. 23 prospect. "We have a lot of people that, industry-wise, get a little more notice, but he's going to be a name people talk about this season," said Jordan. "He had some success in Puerto Rico this offseason, and we think he's going to have a big year." The Phillies also have high hopes for No. 11 prospect Scott Kingery, the club's second-round Draft pick in 2015. After an outstanding career at the University of Arizona, highlighted by a .984 OPS last spring as a junior, Kingery made the jump directly to full-season ball after signing, hitting .250 with 11 steals in 66 games at Class A Lakewood. "He can really hit," said Jordan. "He was worn down last summer after a taxing college season, but we think is first full season is going to be very productive. He has a real chance to be an everyday player in the big leagues for us."

5 Questions For Future Phillies Outfielder – As part of MLBPipeline.com's visit to all 30 Spring Training facilities this month, we will be sitting down with prospects and getting to know them a little better. At Phillies camp, it was No. 3 prospect Nick Williams. A second-round Draft pick of the Rangers in 2012, Williams has put up impressive offensive numbers at every Minor League stop throughout his young career, amassing a .296/.346/.489 batting line in 374 games. He took a major step forward in 2015 and was having a tremendous season at Double-A Frisco when he was sent to the Phillies as part of the Cole Hamels blockbuster. The 22-year-old outfielder capped his season with a strong showing at Double-A Reading and has continued to impress this spring in his first camp with the Phils. MLBPipeline.com: Where were you and what were you doing when you learned that you had been traded last summer? Williams: I was playing for Double-A Frisco, and we were going into either the seventh or eighth inning when I was pulled from the game. I didn't know that those other guys had been traded too until I got into the clubhouse. While waiting for the trade to become final, I went home for about a week and went to the beach and hung out with some friends. I was getting in the car with my girlfriend to go pack up my stuff at Frisco when I learned the trade went through, so we drove 22 hours to Reading to meet up with the team. MLBPipeline.com: Upon joining Reading, you collected two hits in your first game and then went 4-for-4 with two home runs the next day. Was the transition from the Rangers to the Phillies as easy as you made it seem? Williams: It was extremely easy. Jake [Thomson] told me that it would be tough, but it really wasn't. After that 22-hour drive, we spent another five hours on the bus going to Trenton because we got stuck behind a dump truck that was on fire, so I basically went a full week without hitting before that first game with Reading. MLBPipeline.com: You and a lot of the Phillies' other acquisitions were in big league camp together this spring. What was that experience like -- to play together with all of the other big-name prospects who, like yourself, are viewed as the future of the franchise? Williams: It was great not just being the one guy who goes in there and feels out of place. The younger guys were asking me questions and the veterans were all very welcoming -- it was just great energy overall. You can tell the team chemistry is going to be really, really good, because everyone is clicking already. MLBPipeline.com: You've always had an impressive knack for hitting, but last season you seemed to make big strides with your approach and plate discipline. To what do you attribute that improvement? Williams: They put me at leadoff last year at Frisco, and it allowed me to see a lot of pitches and also made me realize just how overaggressive I can be at the plate. Really focusing on the pitchers and the counts, I started to learn how to put all the pieces together and be a more complete hitter. MLBPipeline.com: Video question: You hit this impressive home run with Reading on August 24. First of all, how did you manage to keep this ball fair? Secondly, how on earth did you hit it out of the park? Williams: I can't explain it, really. I get asked those types of questions a lot, and I really can't explain how I hit like that. I just see the pitch and my hands want to attack it, so I let 'em go.

Today In Phils History - We bid adieu to The Bull as the Phillies sold him to the White Sox on this day in 1981.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have an impressive record this spring… 14-10-3 (15-10-3 if you include the exhibition game against 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!

Pitching Continues Phils Spring Dominance

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Phils Blank Bombers 3-0

Ryan Howard and Cesar Hernandez drove in runs to chase CC Sabathia early and the Phillies held on for a 3-0 Grapefruit League victory over the Yankees on Sunday at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Philadelphia left-hander Adam Morgan blanked the Yankees on one hit over four innings, marking his third start of the spring. Morgan walked one and struck out two. "It's always encouraging when you throw good," Morgan said. "But you can't get too high, you can't get too low. So right now, I'm just staying the course." New York committed three errors behind Sabathia, including one by the veteran hurler himself, leading to three runs (two earned). Scheduled to throw three innings, Sabathia completed just 1 2/3, permitting five hits while throwing 29 of 49 pitches for strikes. It was the second spring start for the former Cy Young Award winner, who is competing for the fifth spot in New York's rotation. "I think just my control, I was kind of off with the two-seamer," Sabathia said. "I think the cutter was working good, but I got into some counts and couldn't put some guys away. I've got some work to do as far as that goes." Yankees catcher Brian McCann left the game after two innings due to a bruise on the inside of his left knee. McCann was caught by the ricochet of a Sabathia pitch that hit Howard, but said he would have stayed in the game had it been a regular-season contest. Michael Pineda (three innings) and Aroldis Chapman (one) had scoreless outings for the Yanks.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Ryan Howard made his third straight start. The Phillies want him to show that he can hit left-handed pitching this spring and, in the first inning, he had an RBI double to right against Yankees lefty starter CC Sabathia.

NEXT GAME:

Alec Asher, who was acquired from the Rangers last July as part of the Cole Hamels trade, will make his third Grapefruit League appearance, and second start, against the Orioles on Monday at Ed Smith Stadium. First pitch is 1:05 p.m. ET (listen to an exclusive webcast). Severino Gonzalez, Ernesto Frieri and Edward Mujica are also scheduled to pitch. Asher made his Major League debut for the Phillies last season and made seven starts.

PHILS PHACTS:\

Cashing In On Catch – The fastball caught a little too much of the plate and Blue Jays leadoff hitter Kevin Pillar crushed it. On the Phillies' bench, coach Juan Samuel had the same reaction as everybody else: The ball would carry over the head of center fielder Odubel Herrera for extra bases. Except that Herrera was off with the crack of the bat. He raced onto the warning track, extended his glove and made a backhanded catch a moment before slamming into the padded wall. The sellout crowd roared. Samuel, who works with the team's outfielders in addition to coaching third, was pleased. This was tangible evidence in Saturday's 8-5 win that all those lonely early morning workouts, while the grass is still dewy and the gates are still locked, were paying off. Herrera was primarily a second baseman when the Phillies took him in the Rule 5 Draft before the 2015 season and converted him to the outfield. It's not a stretch to say that, a year ago, he likely wouldn't have made that catch. "I feel good that a lot of the hard work we've been putting in allowed that play to happen. But I know I need to continue to work on going back on balls," Herrera said, with Samuel interpreting, on Sunday. "It's gratifying to do that after putting so much work in. I feel that I've improved in a few areas, but I know that I need to continue to polish my defense out there. The only thing in my mind is to try to get better all the time." Samuel didn't want to overwhelm Herrera last season. This spring he added more advanced defensive techniques, such as going back to the wall and running to a spot without watching the ball. "He's come a long way. But I'm not satisfied," Samuel said. "I'd like to see more of him going to the ball. I just wanted him to be more comfortable so he doesn't even have to think about it. At times I see him thinking, 'I'm going to hit it.' I don't want him to feel like there's a wall there and, 'I'm going to get hurt.' He shouldn't play that way. "Until I can see him [consistently] going back there with confidence and he knows he's not going to get hurt when he runs into the wall, that's when I'll know he's got it." That's why the play Herrera made to rob Pillar was so encouraging. "I was looking at him and seeing if he's got the route he needed to take. Which he did. And when he caught it, I was like, 'Wow, that's a great play.' Because it was over his head and I didn't think he had a shot at it. But he got back there," Samuel said. "That's what you want. And I saw him take his eyes of the ball and look at the wall a couple times, then keep going. And I said, 'That's it right there.'" Samuel tells Herrera that he needs to get to the spot first, that he can't arrive at the same time as the ball. He tells him to notice when he hits the warning track. He tells him that he probably has three steps once he hits the dirt. He tells him that if the ball is still in the air after the second step that it's time to peel off and play the carom. There had been some speculation after the Phillies claimed Peter Bourjos off waivers that he would play center and Herrera would move to left. The inclination now seems to be to leave Herrera where he is. That could change when fleet prospect Roman Quinn is ready, but the philosophy is to avoid shuttling him back and forth if possible. Herrera and Samuel have become close, despite a 30-year age difference. They're both Latino, which is part of it. But Samuel was also a second baseman who was moved to the outfield. He can fully appreciate the transition Herrera is trying to make. "He's such a hard worker," Samuel said.

5^th Spot Still Open – Opening Day is three weeks away. With that in mind, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin and his coaches met informally Sunday morning to kick around some early thoughts on how the regular-season roster might be constructed. One of those decisions will be to pick a fifth starter. Coincidentally, two of the candidates -- left-handers Adam Morgan and Brett Oberholtzer -- were lined up to pitch against the Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Sunday afternoon. Morgan was impressive, shutting out the Yankees on one hit and one walk while striking out two over four innings in the Phillies' 3-0 win. So was Oberholtzer, who posted three shutout innings, allowing four hits. Vince Velasquez, who is also in the mix, gave up two runs in four innings of his start against the Blue Jays on Saturday. "Let me put it this way: It's a problem, but it's the kind of problem we were hoping to have," said Mackanin. "So it's a great problem and we're just going to continue to see them pitch and hope that the best man wins." The final decision could also be impacted by which pitchers have options (Morgan, Velasquez), projected upside and which could be used out of the bullpen. "Some guys are capable of [relieving]. Some guys are not capable of doing that," Mackanin said. "I know, for example, Oberholtzer has pitched as a starter and out of the bullpen. And I know Velasquez did it for Houston last year. "But, you know, he's the guy we were hoping to build with as a starter. So I don't know. Anything's an option. But we like what we see. Morgan may or may not be able to [relieve], but he's pitched so well down here [as a starter]." Morgan, 26, needed just 39 pitches on Sunday. "It was fun. It's still a simple game plan. Trying to keep the ball down and work efficiently. And it worked out. I'm not trying to complicate anything. Really just trying to keep the ball down and get them out in less than three pitches. It's always encouraging when you throw good. But you can't get too high, you can't get too low. So right now, I'm just staying the course." Said the 26-year-old Oberholtzer: "It's the big leagues, so there's always competition. I honestly don't look at it any other way than to just go out there and do the things I can control -- work hard and get better." There was other rotation-related news Sunday. The two veteran starters who were added this offseason to add experience, Jeremy Hellickson and Charlie Morton, each pitched four impressive innings in Minor League camp games at the Carpenter Complex after being sidelined by the flu. Hellickson pitched four perfect innings, striking out four while throwing 55 pitches, 26 for strikes. Morton didn't allow a run, either. He gave up two hits, walked one and struck out four. "I'm really happy with what I'm seeing in terms of swings on my sinker, because it doesn't seem like there are a lot of really good swings," Morton said. "It's early March. Hitters haven't gotten their timing yet. But for Spring Training, I feel like I'm in a good spot." Hellickson was also pleased. "It felt good to get some work in," he said. "It was good to get some up and downs. My stuff felt really good."

One Eye On The Tournament – Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp played three years for the University of Texas. He's a proud alum, ready to say nice things about the school at the drop of a cowboy hat. Still, he admits he started paying close attention to the Longhorns basketball team this year only after it became clear they had a pretty good team. Now that the NCAA Tournament is about to begin, though, the Horns team won't have a bigger fan. "I'm not a big basketball guy," Rupp said Sunday. "But once March Madness starts, it's time to turn it up. Because it seems like every night there's a buzzer-beater. You don't see that during the regular season. So I'm excited. I think they're going to surprise a lot of people. [Coach Shaka Smart] has done a really good job." He's optimistic Texas will fare better than many experts expect. "I think they have a good chance," he said. "They're inconsistent, but they've had a lot of big wins. So I think that's going to play in their favor. And they play in the Big 12, which had an unbelievable season with West Virginia, Kansas, Texas. Oklahoma, Iowa State, Baylor. All those teams were Top 25 all year. Having played in those environments I think is going to help them a lot." While at UT, Rupp never attended a game at the Frank Erwin Center. But he plans to watch every game of the tournament that the Phillies schedule allows. "I don't know where we'll be or if I'll even have a chance to watch it. Some games are in the afternoon when we're playing," he noted. "But, absolutely, I'll sit down and watch when I can. I watched quite a few games during the regular season. Earlier in the year I didn't pay much attention to it. But as the season went on and they started playing well, I started watching it more." Rupp makes his living playing baseball in front of fans. But he enjoys rooting for his college, too. "It's always fun to have a passion for something," he said. "It's kind of like football. I'll go hog wild when I'm sitting on the couch and watching a game. It means something, especially playing there. You want to see them be successful because when you were there, everybody else wanted to see you be successful. So I think it's a lot of fun."

Today In Phils History - Today the Phillies parted ways with Roger Connor in 1893 but did receive Jack Boyle, Jack Sharrott and cash in return from the New York Giants. In 1963, the Phillies purchased the contract of Ryne Duren. It is also the birthday of Butch Rementer (1878) and Steve Lake (1957). 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have begun the spring with a 10-3-2 record (11-3-2 if you include the exhibition game against 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!

Looks Like The Phillies Aren’t Made Of Tin

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Phillies Stun Yankees 6-5

Making his 2016 Grapefruit League debut, Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka fought through a long second inning but came out unscathed for a successful start against the Phillies. The same couldn't be said of the New York bullpen as Philadelphia scored six runs in the sixth inning en route to a 6-5 win on Sunday in front of a capacity crowd of 9,877 at Bright House Field. Tanaka retired all three batters he faced in the first but then allowed back-to-back singles to Maikel Franco and Brock Stassi to open the second. Rob Refsnyder made a slick pick at third base to start a 5-4-3 double play, putting a runner on third with two outs. Tanaka then walked Cedric Hunter before striking out David Lough to end his day. It was Tanaka's first game action since undergoing surgery in mid-October to remove a bone spur from his right elbow. For the Phillies, Charlie Morton pitched a solid 2 1/3 innings. He retired the first six batters he faced but allowed a single to Refsnyder and a walk to Lane Adams to start the third. After striking out Slade Heathcott, Morton's day was done. Daniel Stumpf surrendered a one-out single to Starlin Castro for the game's first run, charged to Morton. Philadelphia responded in the bottom of the sixth with a leadoff single by Freddy Galvis off Chad Green. Odubel Herrera also knocked a single before Franco walked to load the bases. Stassi hit a sacrifice fly to make it 1-1. Gabriel Lino walked to reload the bases and Hunter hit a fly ball to left. Ben Gamel fired home but Herrera slid under the tag. Lough's single made it 3-1. Andrew Knapp then crushed a three-run homer to right field off Branden Pinder for the five-run advantage. "He's got a great swing from both sides of the plate," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said of Knapp. "He looks like a hitter, like he knows what he's doing. He's got some size, he's got some power, nice swing." In the seventh, New York scored runs on an Austin Romine double and Tyler Wade infield single to pull within three. Romine doubled home two more runs in the eighth to make it 6-5.

NEXT GAME:

Vincent Velasquez will take the bump for the Phillies on the road against the Pirates in Bradenton, Fla., on Monday at 1:05 p.m. ET, live on MLB.TV and an exclusive mlb.com audio webcast. A key piece in this offseason's Ken Giles trade, Velasquez will look to rebound from a shaky spring debut, which saw him give up three runs but strike out three in two innings against the Blue Jays.

PHILS PHACTS:

Location Is Key – On a warm day, balls can fly out of Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, so it was an encouraging sign that of the seven outs Charlie Morton earned on Sunday, four were ground balls. The right-handed starter gave up just one earned run on a hit and a walk in 2 1/3 innings while also striking out a pair of Yankees in the Phillies' 6-5 victory. But the groundouts were the most pleasant sight, and he credits that to location. "I'll pitch lefties up and in a lot, trying to get under their hands, and down and in to righties," Morton said. "I try to keep the ball off the barrel with weak contact -- either cut it, sink it in or stay on the corners." While the location was undoubtedly a factor, Morton also credited the lowering of his arm slot -- which he began in 2011 -- for his evolution into a stronger ground-ball pitcher. In particular, it has given much greater movement to his sinker. "My arm started to work a lot better, and I was able to repeat pitches," Morton said. "That's kind of when I started to come into my own in terms of an identity in pitching. I found I was making a lot of mistakes, but I was getting away with mistakes. That's a huge weight off your back when you miss and not get hit real hard." Sunday was Morton's 2016 Grapefruit League debut after facing batters nine days before in batting practice. Morton said that getting the competitive juices flowing was a boost. "To be able to go up and down and keep the ball in the zone until the third inning, I'm really encouraged," Morton said. "I just wanted to pitch, to get outs." Morton retired the first six batters he faced -- the first four via grounders. The third inning was a little trickier, as Rob Refsnyder singled -- on a grounder -- to start the inning. Morton then surrendered a walk to Lane Adams but sent down Slade Heathcott on strikes. Daniel Stumpf came on in relief and gave up an RBI single to Starlin Castro. "He was a little bit up in the zone with his sinker," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said of Morton. "He's got an outstanding sinker, just a little bit up with it. He said he got a little tired. We were pushing him to go three innings. He just got tired late." The 2016 season is Morton's first with the Phillies after spending the last seven with the Pirates. He was acquired in a trade for prospect David Whitehead. Morton went 9-9 last year with a 4.81 ERA in 129 innings.

On His Way Back – Barring any setbacks, Phillies pitcher Jerad Eickhoff hopes to make his Grapefruit League debut later this week. The 25-year-old right-hander threw live batting practice on Sunday morning as he continues to recover from a non-displaced fracture on the outside of his right thumb. "It seems to be doing really well," Eickhoff said. Eickhoff said the session, working with catcher J.P. Arencibia, consisted of about 40 pitches. He threw mostly fastballs but also worked in some changeups and "flipped some curveballs out of the stretch." "It was good to get those back into the mix there," Eickhoff said of his offspeed pitches. Eickhoff hopes to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday, meaning he could be available for game action as soon as Friday afternoon's game against the Braves in Lake Buena Vista. Otherwise, Eickhoff may attempt to pitch on Saturday against the Blue Jays, though Charlie Morton figures to be on schedule for that game. "I was really happy about the progress we've made and everything," Eickhoff said. "It's right on schedule like we've discussed, and I couldn't be more excited." Eickhoff was one piece of a huge trade haul that saw Philadelphia also acquire prospects Jorge Alfaro, Jake Thompson and Nick Williams from the Rangers in exchange for Cole Hamels and Jake Diekman. A bunting drill on Feb. 11 originally sidelined Eickhoff when he couldn't get out of the way of a pitch. In eight starts for the Phillies last year, Eickhoff went 3-3 with a 2.65 ERA. He struck out 49 and walked just 13 in 51 innings.

A Unique Groundout – A reminder, on this Sunday filled with Spring Training games, that the world has no care for our expectations. Not for our expectations as fans, nor for the expectations of players. In fact, it's best just not to expect anything, and let that which comes wash over you simply as it will. Case in point: In the fifth inning of the Phillies' Grapefruit League matchup against the Yankees, outfielder Cedric Hunter grounded out ... to the catcher. See? You could be Yankees pitcher James Pazos trying to throw it past the batter, and the ball will bounce a foot in front. You could be Hunter, who sees the ball bounce in the dirt, check your swing accordingly and the ball will find its way to your bat nonetheless. You could be all of us at home, expecting the ball to bounce in the box or land foul, and instead watch it roll fair down the third-base line. These expectations matter naught to reality. Kudos to Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez for persevering through his shattered expectations and looping around to tag Hunter for the out. That's called embracing the chaos. Of course, none of this applies if you're Vladimir Guerrero. But so few of us are. 

Today In Phils History - Team President William Baker was expecting a different outcome in 1914 when he traveled to New York to deliver a contract to team captain Mike Doolan who had already signed with the Baltimore Federal League club. In 1978, the Phillies signed minor league free agent George Bell who would never amount to much with the Phillies but would prove his power in Toronto. 5 years later, the Wheeze Kids (Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, and Tony Perez) appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. And, after a long wait, Richie Ashburn was finally elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans' Committee on this day in 1995. Today is also the Birthday of Ed Bouchee who was born on this day in 1933. 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have begun the spring with a 3-3-1 record (4-3-1 if you include the exhibition game against 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!

Phillies Earn Split Against 2015 Playoff Teams

EXHIBITION GAME 1 RECAP: Phillies Flog Yankees 13-4

Alex Rodriguez homered on the second pitch he saw, but Maikel Franco cleared the wall and Darin Ruf drove in three runs, helping the Phillies rally for a 13-4 Grapefruit League victory over the Yankees on Thursday at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Franco's fourth-inning shot off right-hander Diego Moreno tied the game, and Philadelphia rallied for four runs in the fifth, highlighted by Ruf's two-run single. Franco and Tyler Goeddel also collected RBIs in the fifth off Jacob Lindgren and Anthony Swarzak. Rodriguez, who hit 33 homers in what he called a "Cinderella season" after returning from a historic drug suspension, connected on a 1-0 pitch in the first inning from left-hander Adam Morgan. Ivan Nova started for New York, permitting a Ruf RBI double among two hits over two innings. Nova, who is competing with CC Sabathia to serve as the Yankees' No. 5 starter, walked none and struck out one. Nova said that he feels "great" in his second year back from Tommy John surgery and that he is not concerned with trying to impress manager Joe Girardi or pitching coach Larry Rothschild. "I just have to prove to myself I can be in the rotation. I don't have to prove anything [to them]," Nova said. "They have seen enough from me. This is my seventh year in the league, so they have seen enough. I don't worry about trying to impress my manager or pitching coach. I just have to concentrate and do my job." Morgan worked two innings, allowing two runs and two hits.

EXHIBITION GAME 2 RECAP: Astros Edge Phillies 3-2

George Springer swung the bat well in the Astros' Grapefruit League opener Thursday afternoon at Bright House Field. The right fielder went 2-for-2 with two doubles in a 3-2 victory over the Phillies. He also got hit by a pitch. Astros right-hander Doug Fister allowed two hits, one walk and struck out four in two scoreless innings in his Astros debut. The Phillies had two of their better pitching prospects pitch the first four innings. Right-handers Jake Thompson allowed three hits, one unearned run, one walk and struck out one in two innings. Right-hander Zach Eflin had command issues in the third inning, walking two and hitting a batter to allow a run. Eflin pitched a scoreless fourth. "Thompson, it was the first time that he had pitched in a big league game, and Eflin as well," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "They had a little bit of the jitters. Other than that, we left too many men on third base and we had chances to score. But we had chances to win that game."

PHAST PHACTS:

• Cody Asche remains sidelined with a sore right oblique. The outfielder took dry swings Thursday, and he said he hopes to play in a Grapefruit League game sometime early next week.
• Right-hander Jerad Eickhoff, who is recovering from a broken right thumb, threw a batting practice session Thursday morning.
• Right-hander Jimmy Cordero is scheduled to throw his first bullpen session of Spring Training on Friday. He has been sidelined with biceps soreness.

NEXT GAME:

Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson starts Friday's Grapefruit league game against the Braves at Bright House Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET, and it will air on MLB.TV. The Phillies are expected to choose between Hellickson and Aaron Nola as their Opening Day starter.

PHILS PHACTS:

Forget About The Trades – Jake Thompson has learned a few things in the past 20 months. One of those things: forget about the trades. The Tigers selected Thompson in the second round of the 2012 Draft, but they sent him to the Rangers on July 23, 2014, as part of the Joakim Soria trade. The Rangers shipped him to the Phillies on July 31 in a package that landed Cole Hamels and Jake Diekman. That's two big trades in 12 months. "Cole Hamels is Cole Hamels, he's undeniably good," Thompson said Thursday after he allowed three hits and one unearned run in two innings in a 3-2 loss to the Astros at Bright House Field. "For me, I don't try to get super wrapped up in it." Thompson, 22, is ranked the club's No. 2 prospect and 55th overall by MLBPipeline.com. He is the most polished of the Phillies' pitching prospects, and the club is hopeful he will join Aaron Nola and Jerad Eickhoff in the rotation in the future. But Thompson must continue to pitch well to make that happen, something he did following his arrival from Texas. Thompson had not pitched particularly well following the Soria trade, at least by his standards. He had a 4.30 ERA in 24 appearances (23 starts) with Double-A Frisco. "I was trying to do things I wasn't capable of," Thompson said. "I tried to overdo everything -- every fastball max [velocity] and not really utilizing all of the strengths of my game, like the movement on my fastball." But Thompson returned to his roots following the Hamels deal. Thompson stopped trying to live up to the hype of a recently acquired top prospect. He went 5-1 with a 1.80 ERA in seven starts at Double-A Reading. "It was a personal thing," Thompson said. "When I got traded the first time, I struggled a little bit and it frustrated me. This time, I said, 'I'm just going to go out there and try to get outs, I'm not going to try to drop the jaws on everybody in the stands. I'm going to try to go out there and be a good pitcher.' The last part of Reading, it really panned out for me, and it's something as my command gets a little better here, I'm going to keep doing that, keep getting ground balls, keep getting weak contact." Thompson is expected to open the season at Triple-A with fellow pitching prospects Mark Appel and Zach Eflin. Both Appel and Eflin pitched Thursday. Appel allowed one hit, one run and four walks in two innings in a 13-4 victory over the Yankees in Tampa, Fla.. Eflin allowed one hit, one unearned run, two walks, one hit batter, one wild pitch and struck out one in two innings to the Phillies. Thompson walked in a run in the second after a two-out error by Phillies third baseman Taylor Featherston extended the inning. "I'm still trying to grow as a pitcher," Thompson said. "There are still certain things I feel I need to improve on. This is my first time in big league camp, getting out there, feeling the competition, seeing some of those guys you've see play on TV and facing them. It's a really cool thing and I was excited to do it."

Prospects Learning From Veterans – Every player has expectations about their first big league Spring Training, and Zach Eflin is no different. It is not what he anticipated. "Coming in here, everyone is open to talking and stuff," Eflin said after pitching two innings Thursday in a 3-2 loss to the Astros in a Grapefruit League game at Bright House Field. "Coming in here, I thought it'd be the young guys kind of shying away [from the veterans], but they've been completely outgoing and it's been incredible." Of course, the young guys outnumber the old guys these days. In previous camps, the veterans outnumbered the prospects. They typically convened at a table on the north end of the clubhouse while the youngsters and sixth-year free agents hung out at a table on the south end. But with so many players in camp, the Phillies put six additional lockers on the south end, moving the tables to one side. The clubhouse reconfiguration has forced everybody in camp to mingle together while they eat breakfast or hang out after a workout or game. "I've learned a lot," Eflin said. "I've really picked the brains of a lot of guys in the clubhouse." Eflin allowed one hit, one unearned run, two walks, one hit batter, one wild pitch and struck out one. He hit George Springer to start the third inning. Eflin walked Matt Duffy with one out and threw a wild pitch to put runners at second and third. An error from third baseman Taylor Featherston (his second of the game) allowed a run to score. Eflin walked Danny Worth to load the bases before getting out of the inning. "I've never been out of the bullpen before, so the blood was pumping," Eflin said. Eflin is the No. 13 prospect in the organization, according to MLBPipeline.com. He is expected to open the season in Triple-A with fellow pitching prospects Jake Thompson and Mark Appel. Thompson, who started the game, and Appel, who faced the Yankees in a split-squad game in Tampa, Fla., are second and fourth among Phillies prospects, respectively, and 55th and 70th among all prospects in baseball, respectively. Of the three, the Phillies consider Thompson to be the most advanced, while Appel has the best stuff. Eflin's stuff is similar to Appel's, but the organization wants him to set up and finish hitters more consistently this season. The Phils think once he gets it, his strikeout ratio (4.6 per nine innings last season with Double-A Reading) will take a jump. "I don't think they could have done a better job of getting a better group of guys together and going through it together," Eflin said about the potential Triple-A rotation. "We love it. Every single guy in here, we're all good with each other. We're all close-knit friends. I think it establishes and builds a foundation. If there's no competition, what do you have to prove?"

Spring Training Family Reunion – Jim and Racquelle Stassi stood behind the Phillies' dugout Thursday morning at Bright House Field, surveying a scene that had them recalling those countless hours spent on baseball fields back home in California. Their son Max Stassi made the drive with his Astros teammates from Kissimmee to play the Phillies in a Grapefruit League game. He is expected to be Houston's backup catcher in 2016. Their son Brock Stassi is in Phillies camp as a non-roster invitee, fresh off a season that earned him the Double-A Eastern League Most Valuable Player Award. For the first time since high school, they saw their sons on the same field together. "It's kind of the culmination of all of those years," Jim Stassi said. "My wife and I said, 'No matter what, we're not going to miss this one.'" The Stassis are a baseball family. Max and Brock's great, great uncle is Myril Hoag. He played 13 seasons in the big leagues from 1931-45, most notably playing on the Yankees with Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio. Their grandfather played Minor League baseball as well, and Jim Stassi played in the Giants' system from 1982-83. Jim coached baseball at Yuba City (Calif.) High School for about 25 years. He had Brock, Max and his youngest son, Jake, who played at Long Beach State and Sacramento State, on the same team when Brock was a senior in 2007. "It's been baseball all the time for us," Brock said. "It was just a normal household with three boys, I guess you could say," Jim said. "We had holes in the walls from golf balls, a soccer field set up in the living room and things like that." Max and Brock played together on the same team in winter ball in Puerto Rico this offseason, but obviously Thursday was different. This was the big leagues. "It's pretty special," Max said. "It's kind of something you dream about ever since both of us have been drafted and playing against each other, and finally it's a reality. Even though it's Spring Training, it's still pretty cool growing up, and he's obviously my best friend and cool to be on the same field as him." Max finally has a clear path to be Houston's backup catcher after the Astros traded Hank Conger to the Rays in December. Brock had a fantastic season in Double-A Reading, and he is expected to open the season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Brock has become a fascination of sorts for Phillies fans. Brock has put up great numbers, but he is nowhere to be found on prospects lists. His age (26) has much to do with it. "I get it," Brock said. "All those guys on that list when I was in high school, they weren't even born yet. Everybody has their peak year. Maybe I just peaked a little later. Whatever my path, whatever my story might be, it's going to be different from a No. 1 pick than a guy like myself drafted in the 33rd round. As long as we get to where we're supposed to be at the end is all that matters." On Thursday, that path led Brock to be on the same field with his younger brother. "Hopefully he gets up there, and whoever is pitching, we can get the best of him," Max said. So he knows how to get Brock out? "Oh yeah, I know all his holes," Max said.

Today In Phils History - Nothing in the way of events or trades but there are plenty of birthdays to celebrate including Abe Wolstenholme (1861), Tom Gunning (1862), Al McCauley (1863), Bull Whitrock (1870), Lefty O'Doul (1897), and Art Rebel (1915).

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have begun the spring with a 1-2-1 record (2-2-1 if you include the exhibition game against 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!