Phillies Close out Grapefruit League Action With A Win

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Phillies Ground Astros 8-4

Houston ace Dallas Keuchel looks ready for Opening Day. He allowed two hits and struck out six in seven scoreless innings, but the Phillies roared back in an 8-4 victory Wednesday afternoon in a Grapefruit League game at Bright House Field. It was the final Spring Training game for both teams in Florida. Keuchel dominated the Phillies, but they scored eight runs in the eighth inning against Astros relievers Pat Neshek, Tony Sipp and James Hoyt. The inning included a lineout RBI from pinch-hitter Ryan Howard, as well as Cesar Hernandez executing a suicide squeeze to allow Will Venable to score from third to tie the game. It was the Phillies' third suicide squeeze of the spring and their fourth successful squeeze play overall. Maikel Franco's single scored a run to give the Phillies the lead and Andres Blanco hit a grand slam to seal it. Astros second baseman Jose Altuve hit a three-run home run to left field with two outs in the fifth inning against Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson to give Houston the lead. It was Altuve's second homer of the spring. Hellickson allowed four hits, three runs, one walk and struck out five in 4 2/3 innings. He finished the spring with a 3.31 ERA. "I felt great," Hellickson said about his spring. "I've just got to get better still with two outs and guys in scoring position. I've got to get those big outs when I need them." After Preston Tucker doubled and Alex Bregman replaced him as a pinch-runner, the Astros scored another run in the bottom of the ninth off a single from Jason Castro.

PHILS PHACTS:

• The Phillies Broadcasters Foundation announced that the deadline to apply for its 2016 Kalas Award is May 31. The Kalas Award is given to a college student(s) who has a stated desire and shown initiative towards a career in sports broadcasting. Applications are available online at phillybroadcasters.org.
• Former Phillies public relations boss Larry Shenk has written a book, The Fightin' Phillies: 100 Years of Philadelphia Baseball from the Whiz Kids to the Misfits. Shenk is the Phillies' unofficial historian, having spent more than 50 years with the organization.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies head north to Reading, Pa., where they play a seven-inning exhibition Thursday night at 6:05 p.m. ET against some of the Phillies' top prospects. Prospects in the lineup include J.P. Crawford, Nick Williams, Jorge Alfaro and Andrew Knapp.

PHILS PHACTS:

Welcome Back – The Phillies re-signed Edward Mujica to a Minor League contract on Wednesday, a day after releasing the veteran relief pitcher. Mujica had activated an out clause in his original contract when the Phillies did not add him to their roster by midnight ET on Sunday. That gave the club 48 hours to make a decision, and it elected not to put the 31-year-old in its Opening Day bullpen. Mujica, who will report to Minor League camp on Thursday, allowed two runs on four hits with two walks and seven strikeouts over 8 1/3 Grapefruit League innings. The 10-year veteran spent last season with Boston and Oakland, posting a 4.75 ERA over 49 appearances. After his release, Mujica had expressed an openness to staying with the organization. "I'll have to see," he said. "[Manager Pete Mackanin] told me I'm going to have pretty good chances, if I go to Triple-A, in getting back to the big leagues."

Future On Exhibit – 2016 is about the future, so it makes sense that the Phillies are playing two of their final three exhibition games against some of their top prospects. They will play seven innings Thursday night in Reading, Pa., and Zach Eflin and Mark Appel will pitch for the prospects' team. The Phillies play the prospects again Saturday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. Jake Thompson and Ricardo Pinto will pitch that game. In between, the Phillies will host the Orioles on Friday night. Here is the prospects roster: Pitchers (nine): Right-handers Thompson (No. 2), Appel (No. 4), Pinto (No. 10), Eflin (No. 13), Edubray Ramos (No. 29), Victor Arano, Miguel Nunez, and left-handers Joely Rodriguez and Tom Windle. Catchers (two): Jorge Alfaro (No. 6) and Andrew Knapp (No. 9). Infielders (nine): J.P. Crawford (No. 1), Scott Kingery (No. 11), Malquin Canelo (No. 12), Rhys Hoskins (No. 20), Tommy Joseph, Angelo Mora, Brock Stassi, Jesmuel Valentin and Mitch Walding. Outfielders (six): Nick Williams (No. 3), Roman Quinn (No. 7), Carlos Tocci (No. 14), Dylan Cozens (No. 23), Aaron Brown (No. 28) and Andrew Pullin.

Will This Be A Good Year? – It has been one heck of a spring for Phillies manager Pete Mackanin. He opened big league camp in February for the first time as a full-time manager after managing the Pirates in 2005, the Reds in 2007 and the Phillies in 2015 on an interim basis. He hammered home the importance of fundamentals and playing with energy. His boss, Phillies general manager Matt Klentak, noticed his efforts and how his players responded to his words, too. Klentak tore up Mackain's one-year contract this month and replaced it with a two-year contract with a club option for 2018. Mackanin begins his first full season as manager Monday on Opening Day in Cincinnati. "It's already hit me," he said before Wednesday afternoon's 8-4 win over the Astros at Bright House Field. "I keep telling my wife, it's not that big of a deal. I've managed quite a few games in the big leagues. Managing is the same everywhere you go. It's getting through Spring Training, and doing the things I wanted to do and focusing on certain fundamentals, that is one thing that is the most important part of it, rather than during the season. I'm a manager, and I'm just managing." The Phillies finished their Grapefruit League schedule at 15-10-3. It does not translate into regular-season success, but Mackanin thinks he accomplished what he wanted to accomplish this spring. He thinks there are reasons to be optimistic about 2016. "I think with our rotation, and the bullpen we're going to have, excluding the closer right now, I think we're going to be in a lot more games than we were last year," Mackanin said. "I think that's going to lead to more wins. How many remains to be seen." Ten Phillies pitchers not named Cole Hamels, Aaron Nola, Jerad Eickhoff and Adam Morgan posted a combined 6.19 ERA in 106 starts (65.4 percent of their games) last season. The Phillies also had a 34-37 record following the All-Star break with Maikel Franco, who could be their best hitter, missing 46 of those games. But while nobody is expecting the Phillies to contend this season, they expect to be better. They do not expect to finish with the worst record in baseball for the second consecutive season. It should be interesting to follow, because of the young players on the current roster and the prospects coming up through the system. Their Opening Day roster could look very different from their mid-August roster. "I was really happy to see all of those young guys I had heard about but hadn't seen," Mackanin said. "And they really looked like they've got a chance to be real good players. "My focus right now is on the guys we have on the Major League level. And I really don't want to discount those guys, their turn will come. But I'm hoping we're not going to have to take a chance on bringing them up early, because the guys we have at the big league level are doing so well that there's going to be no rush."

Could This Be The Year? – If one had to bet on the first prospect to join the Phillies this season, one might take outfielder Nick Williams or right-hander Jake Thompson. Williams and Thompson will open the season in Triple-A Lehigh Valley, and based on their skill sets and the organization's needs, their paths to the big leagues could be the shortest. But shortstop J.P. Crawford figures to get the most attention this season, and understandably so, as he is the No. 5 prospect in baseball, according to MLBPipeline. He also has the brightest future, making him the Phillies' prospect to watch in 2016. "I think about it all the time," Crawford said about his call to the big leagues. But patience is key, perhaps for Phillies fans more than anyone. Crawford, 21, has played only 86 games at Double-A Reading. He hit .265 with 21 doubles, seven triples, five home runs, 34 RBIs and a .761 OPS in 351 at-bats last season, and he hit .150 with one RBI, three walks and three strikeouts this spring. He has room to improve, and that means he needs more time to develop in the Minor Leagues. Besides, there is no rush. The Phillies are rebuilding for the future, so 2017 and beyond are more important than 2016. The Phillies want to make sure Crawford is ready to play every day and succeed whenever he gets the call. They don't want to yo-yo him from the big leagues to the Minor Leagues, and they don't want him to split time at shortstop with Freddy Galvis. When he is up, he will be up, and he will be playing. "If it happens, it happens," Crawford said about a potential promotion. "I'm not really going to think about that. But if I do, I do. If I don't, I don't." Of course, Crawford could force the issue with his own play. He could start the season in Reading and dominate, earning a relatively quick promotion to Triple-A. And if he plays well there, perhaps he'll warrant a promotion before the end of the season. But there are plenty of "ifs" there. Could Crawford make the big leagues this year? Yes, but only if he is ready. After all, the long-term is much more important than a little short-term spike in fan excitement.

Today In Phils History - When the Phillies lost the marathon on opening day in 1998 against the Mets, they did so with a number of players making their first appearances in a Phillies uniform including Doug Glanville, Bobby Abreu, Mark Lewis, and Alex Arias. Five years later they would showcase another overhauled roster with the additions of  Jim Thome, Tyler Houston, Kevin Millwood, and David Bell. And five years after that they would field another collection of new faces in Chad Durbin, Pedro Feliz, Geoff Jenkins, and So Taguchi. Six years later, one of the stalwarts on that championship team, Jimmy Rollins, would make his 14th consecutive opening day start at shortstop setting a NL record and tying the major league record set by Cal Ripken. However, there is one surname that can overshadow the rest of the events from this day... DiMaggio. Even though it was Vince who was acquired on this day in 1945. 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have an impressive record this spring… 15-10-3 (16-10-3 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!

Pithing Remains Top Of Mind For Phillies

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Astros Edge Phillies 2-1

After wriggling out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning by allowing just one run, Astros pitchers shut down the Phillies en route to a 2-1 win on Wednesday night at Osceola County Stadium. Astros starter Michael Feliz gave up three walks, one hit and one run in the first inning and got a strikeout of Freddy Galvis to strand the bases loaded. That began a stretch in which he sent down 10 batters in a row through the fourth inning. The run the Phillies scored in the first inning came on an RBI single by Cedric Hunter. Preston Tucker tied the game in the fifth inning when he shot an RBI single to right field, and the Astros took a 2-1 lead later in the inning when Colby Rasmus grounded out to second base. The Astros had five hits -- Jason Castro with three and Tucker with two. Phillies starter Charlie Morton threw 5 1/3 innings and gave up two runs and (none earned) and four hits while striking out five hitters. Astros reliever James Hoyt continued his solid spring by throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Left-handed reliever Daniel Stumpf fanned both batters he faced Wednesday and now has made three straight scoreless appearances. Stumpf, a Rule 5 draft pick, seems to be on the verge of locking up a bullpen role. "He's making it a little easier after tonight," Mackanin said the club's looming decision. "He threw some real sharp sliders and a couple good changeups. Went right after them, and he made a good impression tonight."
• The Phillies reassigned catcher Gabriel Lino to Minor League camp before Wednesday's game. Lino, 22, went hitless in eight at-bats over six Grapefruit League games. The Phillies now have 47 players in Major League camp.
• Outfielder Odubel Herrera (bruised finger) was a last-minute addition to Wednesday's travel roster and took batting practice but didn't play. Mackanin said Herrera will probably play Thursday if he has no pain.

NEXT GAME:

The Phillies once again hit the road Thursday, this time heading to Champion Stadium to face the Braves at 6:05 p.m. ET. Left-hander Adam Morgan, who is battling righty Vince Velasquez for the fifth starter's spot, makes his fifth Grapefruit League start. He hasn't allowed a run in his last three starts and has a 2.00 ERA this spring.

PHILS PHACTS:

Hellickson To Open Season – Jeremy Hellickson is the Phillies' Opening Day starter, manager Pete Mackanin announced Wednesday. Right-hander Aaron Nola will start the second game of the season and the April 11 home opener against the Padres. "Hellickson has experience, he's been pitching really well, so we'd like him to be the Opening Day starter," Mackanin said. Hellickson, who turns 29 on April 8, has allowed one run in seven Grapefruit League innings in his first camp with the Phillies after being acquired from the D-backs in November. Hellickson has said in the past how honored he'd be to receive the Opening Day nod in his seventh Major League season. "I've been a part of five Opening Days now, and just the atmosphere -- standing on the line, seeing everything, how Opening Day goes down -- you kind of just think, 'Hopefully I can pitch one of these game sometime in my career,'" Hellickson said. "It's exciting, that's for sure." Mackanin said Charlie Morton will follow Hellickson and Nola, while Jerad Eickhoff appears to have the edge for the No. 4 spot. Left-hander Adam Morgan and righty Vince Velasquez are still battling for the fifth spot. Although the Phillies previously floated the idea of using a six-man rotation, Mackanin said Wednesday that is no longer under consideration because of roster constraints. 

With two spring starts remaining, Hellickson is gearing up for what he hopes will be a successful season as he approaches free agency. The right-hander won the 2011 American League Rookie of the Year Award, and he had a 3.10 ERA in '12, but he's posted a 4.86 ERA over the past three seasons with the Rays and D-backs.

Hellickson freely admitted free agency has crept into his mind, but he's looking more so at this season as a chance to make his mark. "It's definitely an opportunity," Hellickson said. "I couldn't ask for a better situation to come into. You know, from top to bottom here, this organization is awesome. And all of the guys that I've got to meet so far, we've had a lot of fun so far. So we're all just excited for the season to get started."

Looking To Improve – Charlie Morton felt better physically and had his sinker working, but the Phillies' right-hander wasn't exactly thrilled with his outing Wednesday evening in his team's 2-1 loss to the Astros at Osceola County Stadium. Morton, whom manager Pete Mackanin announced earlier in the day would start the third game of the regular season, allowed two unearned runs in 5 1/3 innings -- but needed 94 pitches to get there. Morton said he felt like he had good stuff, but he still struggled to get ahead. Only 58 of his 94 pitches were for strikes. "The goal was to go out there for six ups; get into the sixth inning," Morton said. "And the way you do that is by getting outs, and you can't get to the sixth inning if you're not getting outs. When you see where we are in spring, that's a requirement. You have to be able to go out there and throw deeper into games." Morton's sinker was effective despite the high pitch count, as he recorded 10 of his 16 outs on the ground. He also struck out five and walked two. "There are a couple things execution-wise I hope to get a little sharper, but I feel like I'm in a good spot," Morton said.

Today In Phils History - It was a busy day for the Phillies on this day in 1984 as they first acquired Dave Bergman from the Giants and immediately flipped him (with Willie Hernandez) to the Tigers for John Wockenfuss and Glenn Wilson. The Phillies weren't as receptive to their players in 1995 as 1 day after Curt Schilling, Tommy Greene and Dave Hollins were spotted by the press at the Carpenter Complex, Phillies president Bill Giles announced that following instructions from the Office of the Commissioner, players would not be allowed to use team facilities during the baseball strike. Finally, in the only hiccup of his perfect 2008 season, Brad Lidge was placed on the 15-day DL retroactive to March 21.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have an impressive record this spring… 14-7-2 (15-7-2 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!

Giles Greeted By New Look Phillies

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Phillies Top Astros 5-4

Nobody knows where it will go once the regular season starts, but the Phillies are showing some pop in their bats this spring. Cesar Hernandez hit a leadoff home run in the first inning in Sunday afternoon's 5-4 victory over the Astros in a Grapefruit League game at Bright House Field. It was Hernandez's first homer of the spring and the Phillies' 29th. They entered the afternoon with the second-most home runs of any team in Spring Training. Hernandez finished the day with three hits and three RBIs. He singled to drive in Cedric Hunter in the fifth and doubled to score David Lough in the seventh. Hernandez scored the game-winning run on a safety squeeze by Freddy Galvis later in the seventh. The Phillies scored twice in the fifth inning against Ken Giles, who is Houston's likely closer. It was the first time Giles faced the Phillies since they traded him in December. Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, who is in line to start Opening Day, allowed no hits and three walks and struck out six in five scoreless innings. Astros left-hander Wandy Rodriguez, who is battling for a job on the team, allowed two hits and one run and struck out five in four innings. The Astros took a 4-3 lead in the sixth inning when Colby Rasmus hit a three-run home run to right field off Phillies reliever Hector Neris.

PHILS PHACTS:

• Phillies outfielder Odubel Herrera has not played since March 12 because of a bruised left finger. He said he plans to hit again Tuesday. Mackanin said the Phillies are being "very careful with him," which makes sense because they are very thin in the outfield without Aaron Altherr and Cody Asche. "We're going to give him time to get 100 percent," Mackanin said. "He's a big part of our offense, and we don't want to take any chances with him. He'll be ready for the opener."
• The Phillies have had two successful squeezes in the last two games. Charlie Morton executed a safety squeeze Friday and Freddy Galvis executed a suicide squeeze to score the game-winning run in the seventh Sunday. "That's the kind of offense we're going to have to utilize," Mackanin said. "We're going to have to do a lot of different things to make the other team nervous."
• Left-handers Daniel Stumpf (4.00 ERA) and Bobby LaFromboise (0.00 ERA) each threw a scoreless inning. Both are competing for a bullpen job.
• The Phillies celebrated Alumni Day before the game, honoring former Phillies like Darren Daulton, Dick Allen, Dave Cash and Ron Clark.

NEXT GAME:

Right-hander Aaron Nola is scheduled to start Monday's Game against the Tigers in Lakeland, Fla., at 1:05 p.m. ET. The game can be heard with a free, live exclusive webcast on MLB.com. Nola is on schedule to start the second game of the season and the home opener April 11. 

PHILS PHACTS:

Facing A Former Phillie – Ken Giles flashed a smile and shook a few hands on Sunday morning at Bright House Field. A couple hours later his fastball flashed 101 mph on the scoreboard. During the Phillies' 5-4 win on Sunday, Giles faced his former team for the first time since it traded him to Houston in December. The Phillies sent Giles and Minor League infielder Jonathan Arauz to the Astros for five pitchers: right-handers Vince Velasquez, Mark Appel, Thomas Eshelman and Harold Arauz and left-hander Brett Oberholtzer. Velasquez is the favorite to be the team's No. 5 starter, while Oberholtzer is expected to open the season in the bullpen. "I think it's great," Giles said about being the key piece in a seven-player trade. "I didn't think I was that valuable to begin with because I'm just a reliever. Nobody thinks a reliever is that valuable. The market's changed for a reliever. I feel humbled that they thought of me as that valuable, and hopefully both teams get the best benefit." Giles seemed a little fired up to face the Phillies. His first pitch to J.P. Arencibia, who led off the fifth, hit 101 mph. But the Phillies still got him for two runs. Rule 5 Draft pick Tyler Goeddel hit a 99 mph fastball to center field for a one-out single. Pinch-hitter Cedric Hunter then hit an 86 mph slider for a two-out double down the right-field line to score Goeddel to make it 2-0. Cesar Hernandez followed, hitting a 97 mph fastball to left field for a single to score Hunter. "They said he throws hard," Goeddel said. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin liked the fact Goeddel squared up the fastball from Giles because he had been tardy on them lately. "I was just trying to get on top of something," Goeddel said. "You've got to hit the fastball in this game to be successful. I've been trying to shorten everything up." "He's been working on a little flaw in his mechanics," Mackanin said. "It was good to see. "I like Hunter a lot. He's an aggressive hitter. The guy comes up there to do damage. I like aggressive hitters. We've tried with a few guys the past few years to be aggressive early in the count, but they haven't been. They're starting to get the hint." Hernandez went 3-for-4 with one double, one home run and three RBIs. He is hitting .390 (16-for-41) with three doubles, one triple, one home run and eight RBIs this spring. "Thank God it's gone well," Hernandez said about his spring through Arencibia, who translated for him. "I'm a lot more relaxed. Now I understand I'm an everyday player so I know I'm going to be out there every day."

Ready For Opening Day? – Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson is on target to start Opening Day. The Phillies have made no official announcement, but Hellickson's pitching schedule lines up with an Opening Day start on April 4 against the Reds in Cincinnati. He allowed no hits, three walks and struck out six in five scoreless innings Sunday in a 5-4 victory over the Astros at Bright House Field and is scheduled to pitch Friday and again March 30. Aaron Nola is on schedule to start the second game of the regular season, which would put him on track to start the home opener April 11 against the Padres at Citizens Bank Park. "We're not going to commit to anything right now," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "We haven't said anything to anybody." Hellickson, 28, would love the opportunity. "The first dream is to make it [to the big leagues]. The other one is to be the Opening Day starter," he said. "Either way it doesn't matter, but it would be an honor." Sunday was Hellickson's first start in a Grapefruit League game since March 4. He missed some time because of the flu and then had Saturday's start against the Blue Jays rained out. "It's been an odd schedule, but I got four innings in a Minor League game (March 13)," Hellickson said. "But it felt like forever since I pitched up here." Hellickon said his goal this spring is simple: return to the way he pitched earlier in his career. He went 27-21 with a 3.06 ERA in 70 appearances (64 starts) the first three years of his career, which included winning the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 2011. But he is 22-27 with a 4.86 ERA in 72 appearances (71 starts) in three seasons since. "I think I was giving in to guys too easy," he said. "I was throwing a lot of 2-0 fastballs, 2-1 fastballs. If I walk a guy, I walk a guy. It's just not giving in anymore. If I locate my fastball it's a different story. I just couldn't get my fastball down when I needed to. I was getting hurt a lot with guys in scoring position. My first couple years if I walked a guy on a 3-1 changeup, I'll just went after the next guy."

Starter Moves To Bullpen – Brett Oberholtzer can read between the lines. But he can read the Phillies' pitching schedule, too. He will pitch back-to-back games as a reliever later this week, which is a good indication he will open the season in the bullpen. "I guess the writing is on the wall," Oberholtzer said Sunday morning at Bright House Field. "Literally." Oberholtzer, 26, is out of options, so he had a guaranteed spot on the Opening Day roster. The Phillies acquired him in the Ken Giles trade in December, so they obviously had no plans of losing him. But the storyline entering Spring Training is that he had a chance to be the Phillies' No. 5 starter because he has a 3.84 ERA in 42 big league starts. The Phillies need quality starters. Phillies starters not named Cole Hamels, Adam Morgan,Aaron Nola or Jerad Eickhoff posted a combined 6.19 ERA in 106 starts last season. That cannot happen again. But while everybody acknowledged Oberholtzer deserved consideration to start, the belief remained that he would open in the bullpen because of his versatility and because the Phillies also liked Vince Velasquez and Morgan. Oberholtzer threw eight scoreless innings in Grapefruit League action, plus three scoreless innings in a Minor League game, while Velasquez has a 3.21 ERA in 14 innings -- including allowing just one run and striking out seven in his last start, which saw him go five innings -- and Morgan has a 2.00 ERA in nine innings, plus five scoreless innings in a Minor League game. Velasquez or Morgan will be the Phillies' No. 5, assuming Jeremy Hellickson, Nola, Charlie Morton and Eickhoff open the season healthy. Oberholtzer said he is OK with the situation. "Absolutely," he said. "Once the roster is set and we head up to Philly, there's going to be moves just because guys get hurt and things happen. For me, it's just go out there and be prepared for any role." Oberholtzer could be the first option to start should somebody get injured early in the season. Because of his versatility, he has experience with having his role fluctuate throughout the season. "I've been in the bullpen and up and down and used in different roles at different times, so I've been accustomed to not throwing, throwing, different schedules and all that stuff," Oberholtzer said. "It's just really getting used to a routine and going about it that way. Being prepared to be used every other day or every day, three innings, maybe one batter. I for sure think I have the mentality for it. To be able to go out there and get outs whenever my name is called. But again there's nothing that's set in stone." Nothing is official, but Oberholtzer also has been around long enough to know what's happening. "I haven't gotten a start officially," he said. "So yeah, I feel like I kind of got the hint that maybe it's the role they're using me in."

Lucky Play – Ryan Howard turned an unassisted double play during Sunday's Phillies-Astros Grapefruit League game. Now, there are two ways it could've gone down. If you watch the clip, it looks like Howard dropped Colby Rasmus' fourth-inning liner by accident, and then haphazardly turned it into an unassisted double play amid the chaos and confusion at first. And that may very well have been the case. Or, it could've all been part of his plan. After all, Howard's played almost 1,400 MLB games at first. He's fielded a lot of liners. He could've flubbed the catch on purpose, knowing he'd be able to nab Carlos Correa taking off for second. He could be a master of deception. Either way, he ended the inning, so it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. But whichever you believe probably says a lot about you as a person, just saying. 

Today In Phils History - In a bipolar show of affection the Phillies honored Robin Roberts with a cocktail party to retire his number the same night following an exhibition game during which they roughed him up but lost to his new team, the Yankees. 15 years later, the Phillies paid their respects to cross Commonwealth rival Roberto Clemente by traveling to Puerto Rico to play a two-game exhibition series against the Pirates to benefit sports programs honoring the late superstar. Finally, it was 2 years ago today when Freddy Galvis was diagnosed with an infection form antibiotic-resistant bacteria causing Galvis to be placed on the DL and the Phillies having to disinfect the entire clubhouse.

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have begun the spring with a 13-5-2 record (14-5-2 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!

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!