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!

Howard Powers Phillies Past Rays

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Phillies Defeat Rays 2-1

The Phillies know they are not going to hit for much power this season, so they need everything they can get from Ryan Howard. Howard hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning against right-hander Chris Archer in Friday's 2-1 victory over the Rays at Bright House Field. It was Howard's first homer of the spring. "I'm just going to go out there and do what I can do," Howard said. "The approach is try to put a good swing on the ball. If I can get extra-base hits, home runs, whatever I can do to try to help get those guys in. We've been doing a great job of being able to go out and execute." Howard hit a first-pitch changeup from Archer. "He left a changeup up," Howard said. "I had a good pass at it. I feel like my first AB, felt good, felt like I was seeing the ball pretty well. He threw me a good changeup early on to strike me out, 3-2. But, the second AB, changeup up, put a good pass on it." When asked about the pitch to Howard, Archer said, "When you don't execute something that's 88 mph and you have a 30-home run, 100-RBIs guy, if you don't execute, it's going to get banged. And we have a lot of those guys in our division. ... [It was a] 0-0 changeup, couldn't-put-it-on-a-tee-any-better home run." Another key piece for the Phillies this season, Chase Utley, made his spring debut, batting third as the DH. Utley struck out in the first inning before singling to right-center field to lead off the fourth inning. He was then pulled from the game for a pinch-runner, ending his day 1-for-2 at the plate. Utley had not played in a game this spring because of a sprained right ankle, which he injured in January when he stepped on a baseball. Utley's ankle has made incremental progress over the past several weeks, and he has progressed enough to step into the batter's box and potentially run the bases. The Rays scored their only run in the first inning when Evan Longoria singled to score Asdrubal Cabrera, who moved into scoring position on an error from Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez.

TODAY’S EXHIBITION GAME:

The Phillies scratched right-hander Aaron Harang from Saturday's start against the Tigers, which you can listen to live on Gameday Audio at 1:05 p.m. ET, because of "lower back discomfort." They said they are not worried. But right-hander Paul Clemens, a non-roster invitee, will make the start in Harang's place. He has allowed one hit, two walks and has struck out one in four scoreless innings this spring. Ken Giles, Phillippe Aumont and Nefi Ogando also are scheduled to pitch.

PHILS PHACTS:

Persistent Rotation Issues – A little more than three weeks before Opening Day, the Phillies have some serious health questions about their rotation. Cliff Lee threw Thursday, but the discomfort in his left elbow remained. He is trying to pitch with a tear in the common flexor tendon, but if he cannot pitch then season-ending surgery is the next option. Then the Phillies scratched Aaron Harang from Saturday's start against the Tigers in Lakeland, Fla., because he has "lower back discomfort." The Phillies said it is precautionary, and Harang is day to day. "I'm not that concerned about it," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "It's a muscular thing that he has." This is the second time Harang has missed a start this spring because of his back. He pitched Monday against the Orioles and said his back felt fine.

Utley Takes The Field – The Phillies hope Friday represented just another step in Chase Utley's chances to be in the Opening Day lineup. He played in his first Grapefruit League game in a 2-1 victory over the Rays at Bright House Field. Utley has been slowly recovering from a sprained right ankle, which he suffered in January when he stepped on a baseball. "It feels pretty good," Utley said about the ankle. "Still making a little progress on it. It's not perfect yet, but we're moving in the right direction." Utley was a designated hitter for four innings, striking out swinging in the first inning and singling to right-center field in the fourth. Aaron Altherr pinch-ran for Utley, and Altherr scored on Ryan Howard's two-run home run. "It felt good to get out there in front of the crowd, get some at-bats off an opposing pitcher," Utley said. "It was nice." "I thought Chase looked great," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "I thought he laid off some pitches. His swing was good, with the base hit, and ran well." Utley's health is worth following. First, the Phillies desperately need his bat in the lineup. Second, he has a $15 million club option for next season that automatically vests with 500 plate appearances. Of course, the next step is playing in the field. Sandberg and Utley offered no timetable for that. "I think we have to talk about it," Utley said. "I think there might be another DH in there, but yeah, I'd like to play the field soon."

Is Biddle Ready To Make An Impact? – This season could set up pretty nicely for Phillies prospect Jesse Biddle. The Phillies entered Spring Training with a dearth of starting pitching and it looks even thinner with the tear in Cliff Lee's left elbow and Aaron Harang missing more time because of lower back discomfort, although the Phillies said they are not concerned about it. But if Biddle -- the club's No. 9 prospect -- follows a couple years of adversity with a strong showing in 2015, it is not a stretch to think he could join the big leagues before the end of the season. "It's not really about how things went last year," Biddle said Friday at Bright House Field. "It's not really about whatever happened on the field, off the field. I have a lot of people in my corner, a lot of people sticking up for me and a lot of people that have been really supporting me, whether it's coaches here or coaches back home. I don't have any worries about this season. I feel great. My arm feels great. That's the most important thing." Biddle, the Philadelphia native drafted in the first round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, allowed two hits and struck out one in two scoreless innings Friday in a 2-1 victory over the Rays. But with Minor League camp rolling at the Carpenter Complex, it could have been his final big league appearance this spring. He hopes to be back soon. Biddle, 23, will have to put everything together to make it happen. The Phillies first want him to become a strike-throwing machine. They also want to see him better handle adversity. Biddle's physical and mental battles are well documented. He pitched through whooping cough and plantar fasciitis in his left foot in 2013 with Double-A Reading. He acknowledged that offseason he carried his poor performances with him too long. He returned to Reading in 2014 as a tune-up for an anticipated quick promotion to Triple-A, but it never came. He struggled, saying he was "miserable" at one point. The Phillies put him on the temporary inactive list and sent him to Florida because they believed he needed a mental break. He returned, but missed the rest of the season with a strained right quadriceps. He made just two starts in winter ball because of a sore left elbow. "Anybody giving up 10 runs in an outing when they know they can do a lot better is going to be miserable," said Biddle, referring to his trip to the inactive list. "The thing I've learned and the thing I've really been paying attention to is, this pressure that people talk about, this pressure I'm getting from the fan base or from my family or whatever, it's just support. It is love for me. "The pressure I feel is the pressure I put on myself. There is a certain amount of expectations I have for myself to succeed. Sometimes I think maybe I do put too much pressure on myself because I want to pitch well for the people supporting me. But that's something I can change and adjust." Biddle said he suffered a concussion last season when a piece of hail struck him during a storm in Reading. He tried to pitch through it, not realizing at the time he had a concussion. Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. acknowledged concussion symptoms, but told CSNPhilly.com, "I don't know if it was a full-blown concussion. That wasn't the reason we gave him the break." Asked about the apparent discrepancy, Biddle said, "I can't really speak to that. I'm not in charge of how we handle them releasing information about my situation. But whatever it was, going down to Florida was the best thing that happened to me. It was the best thing I could have done, so the Phillies made the right call in that aspect. They took really good care of me." But that is in the past. Biddle is ready to let his pitching take care of his future. He believes it will. "Do I have every bit of confidence in myself?" Biddle said. "Absolutely. I think there's nothing really holding me back except myself. I think I have the talent to do it. I think I definitely will do it."

Rodriguez Ready To Shine – Joely Rodriguez learned the Pirates traded him to the Phillies in December while sitting in a bullpen in the Dominican Republic. He thought somebody was playing a joke on him. But Rodriguez, whom the Phillies acquired for Antonio Bastardo, said he realized the trade was real when he received another phone call on his ride home that night. "I'm happy to be in an organization that's giving me the opportunity to really show what I've got," Rodriguez said through translator Rickie Ricardo. Rodriguez allowed one hit, one unearned run and walked one in three innings on Friday in a 2-1 victory over the Rays at Bright House Field. He has allowed two hits, one unearned run, two walks and has struck out one in seven scoreless innings this spring. "My mission today was to get ahead in the count, attack the strike zone early so then I could work on my breaking pitches," Rodriguez said. He is expected to open the season in the Triple-A Lehigh Valley rotation, but the Phillies certainly are hoping they get something from Rodriguez, whom MLB Pipeline ranks No. 26 in the organization's Top 30 Prospects list. He is a piece in their rebuilding plan.

Debating The DH – Although it does not seem to be a pressing issue, Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Tony Clark said recently that the idea of adding the designated hitter to the National League has been mentioned to the union. With the Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire following the 2016 season, Phillies president Pat Gillick hopes the DH remains in the American League. "There's nothing imminent," Clark said Friday morning at Bright House Field, where the union held its annual meeting with the Phillies. "There's nothing going on. I don't know how that snowball got rolling downhill. This wasn't anything that's been discussed. This was something that was mentioned elsewhere. At the end of the day we will go to the players and will determine -- if it's actually proposed -- whether or not it's a consideration the guys want to make, and then we'll have our bargaining position." Scoring in baseball is down, so including the DH in the NL could boost offense. It also would create more high-paying jobs for veteran hitters. "I've been in both leagues," Gillick said. "Basically, I like the National League style of play. Some people might say, 'Well, that's an old guy's way to look at it.' But I think it's a little more intellectual. I think one thing right now that's pretty prominent is pace of game. The American League games are longer than the National League games. "So I would not be one that would be a proponent of the DH in the National League." Told that the DH in the NL could increase scoring, Gillick said, "To be frank, I'd rather see them lower the mound and take some of the advantage away from the pitchers and try to improve scoring that way. I just like the intellectual game." Clark steered clear of saying whether or not the DH in the NL makes sense. "There could be an argument for it. There could be an argument against it," he said. "We're not going to take a position one way or the other. I will tell you, though, that each time we've had a bargaining session, the DH has been a part of the conversation. What do you want to do? Do you want to eliminate it? Do you want to add it? So it's been part of the conversation. But as I stand here today I haven't even begun to ask guys, 'Hey, what are you thinking about this?'"

ON THE RECORD:

The Phillies will look to rebound this season from a 73-89 record last year. While uncertainty abounds, there is little question that the franchise is in rebuild mode based on the moves and statements that have been made during the offseason. The only question that remains is whether or not the young and veteran talent on the team can work together to disprove Gillick’s predictions either this year or next.