Phils Fall Short Behind Nola’s Shaky Start

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Jays Jack Phils 9-6

Michael Saunders hit a pair of home runs and Troy Tulowitzki added one of his own in the Blue Jays' 9-6 victory over the Phillies on Saturday afternoon at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. Saunders hit a three-run shot in the first inning off Philadelphia starter Aaron Nola and later added a two-run shot in the third off reliever Elvis Araujo. Toronto's veteran outfielder also added a single in the fifth to finish his day 3-for-3 with five RBIs. "To tell you the truth, I was happier with my third at-bat," Saunders said. "I was able to hit the ball hard the other day, and I think that's when I start going good, when I start driving the ball the other way, letting the ball travel and staying on it. I'm just getting more and more comfortable with every at-bat." Tulowitzki, who started the game out of the leadoff spot to get extra at-bats, recorded his first home run of the spring with a solo shot deep over the wall in left. It was his first hit of the spring, and he finished the afternoon 1-for-3. The other standout on offense included Chris Colabello, who went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored. Nola was charged with four runs on four hits and a walk over his two innings of work. Araujo allowed two runs on two hits and a walk in one inning, while right-hander Reinier Roibal surrendered three runs -- none earned -- on four hits and a strikeout in two innings. "I wasn't really commanding the baseball. My pitches were pretty much over the plate, and they made me pay for them. I was getting behind in the count," Nola said. "My first-pitch strikes [4 of 10] weren't too good today." Right-hander Drew Hutchison got the start for Toronto, and he pitched a clean first inning before loading the bases in the second. He allowed one run, which scored on a hit batter, while also walking one and allowing one hit over his two innings. Catcher Logan Moore doubled in the fourth inning for Philadelphia, and third baseman Taylor Featherston hit a solo shot in the fifth. The Phillies also added back-to-back two-out doubles in the ninth to bring the final score to 9-6. With the win, Toronto improved to 4-0-1 in the Grapefruit League season, while the Phillies dropped to 2-3-1.

NEXT GAME:

Charlie Morton will make his first appearance of the spring -- and first in a Phillies uniform -- when he takes the ball at Bright House Field on Sunday in a 1:05 p.m. ET matchup with the Yankees, live on MLB.TV. The veteran right-hander, whom the Phillies obtained from the Pirates in December for Minor League righty David Whitehead, went 9-9 with a 4.81 ERA in 23 starts for Pittsburgh last year. The Yankees will counter with Masahiro Tanaka.

PHILS PHACTS:

A Bipolar Outing – Aaron Nola's 29-pitch effort in Saturday's 9-6 loss to the Blue Jays proved to be a tale of two outings, with the young right-hander recovering from a rocky first inning to record an easy 1-2-3 second. Blue Jays designated hitter Troy Tulowitzki lined a 2-1 fastball into the pine trees beyond the left-field wall to lead things off, and after a walk to Josh Donaldson and a swinging bunt single by Chris Colabello, Michael Saunders launched a towering drive into the Toronto bullpen in right-center to make the score 4-0. Junior Lake followed with a groundout to short, and after an infield single by Darwin Barney, Nola got Josh Thole to ground into an inning-ending double play. "I wasn't really commanding the baseball. I was getting behind on the count. My pitches were pretty much over the plate, and they made me pay for them," said Nola. Nola settled down nicely in the second inning, sandwiching groundouts to short by Ezequiel Carrera and Tulowitzki around a soft comebacker by Jio Mier to retire the Blue Jays in order. "It went a little smoother. I made adjustments, and I got a feel for my pitches a little more," said Nola, whose fastball topped out at 93 mph while sitting consistently in the 90-91 range. Nola reported that there was nothing in his pregame preparation to suggest he would struggle in the early going. "My arm felt good, and my body felt good all day and then in warmups, and I felt good on the field. It's just about executing pitches. I missed a couple of spots over the plate that were supposed to be away," said Nola, who is projected to be the Phillies' Opening Day starter on April 4 in Cincinnati. It was Nola's powerful command of his entire pitching repertoire that helped convince the Phillies to make him the seventh overall pick of the 2014 Draft, so is it difficult for him to struggle with location, as he did on Saturday? "I run into outings like that every now and then, but I'm going to continue to work on those areas and try not to make those mistakes as much -- try not to make them again," said Nola, who went 6-2 with a 3.59 ERA in 13 starts for the Phillies last year after being called up in late July. And that big league experience has proved invaluable to the 22-year-old Nola as he navigates through his first Grapefruit League competition. "Getting the callup in July, I know how it is, and I know what I have to do. It involves a lot of work, and I'm going to continue trying to compete and work through everything on my side sessions and during my throwing sessions," said Nola.

Altherr Out Of The Lineup – Phillies right fielder Aaron Altherr, who injured his left wrist in the first inning of Friday's 12-11 win over the Braves, was held out of Saturday's 9-6 loss to the Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla. Altherr is day to day, according to Phillies skipper Pete Mackanin. He has yet to undergo X-rays, but he is wearing a splint on the wrist. Altherr described the injury, which he sustained while diving for a line drive off the bat of Braves leadoff hitter Ender Inciarte, as "not even close" to the right wrist injury that he sustained in the Arizona Fall League two years ago that required surgery. Despite feeling sore, Altherr remained in Friday's game for the balance of the first inning -- he was forced to chase down a double by Erick Aybar on the following at-bat -- but he exited after the Phillies returned to the dugout. "I wasn't real comfortable playing on it, and it's still early in Spring Training. I didn't want to risk anything," said Altherr.

Today In Phils History - Former Pittsburgh catcher Charles "Chief" Zimmer finally got a chance to manage when the Phillies hired him on this day in 1903. 7 years later, the Phillies got quite the scare when lightening ripped through the team hotel in Southern Pines, NC causing significant damage to many of the player's rooms including a 3 foot hole in the ceiling. Thankfully no one was injured. In 1938, the Phillies parted ways with Dolph Camilli and received Eddie Morgan and $45,000 in return from Brooklyn. 20 years later, first baseman Ed Bouchee was sentenced after pleading guilty to two counts of indecent exposure involving minors. In a turning point for the franchise (and for baseball), Ruly Carpenter announced that he would entertain offers on the franchise following the recent trend in spending practices spearheaded by owners such as George Steinbrenner and Ted Turner. 10 years ago, what a difference a decade makes, a record crowd of nearly 10,000 fans packed into Bright House Networks Field to see the Phillie and Red Sox face off (and they were subsequently treated to a brawl following a confrontation between Ryan Howard and Josh Beckett). Today is also the birthday of old timer John Coleman (1863), middle infielder Cookie Rojas (1939), and injury prone Terry Adams (1973). 

THE BEGINNING:

The Phillies have begun the spring with a 2-3-1 record (3-3-1 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!

Lee Looked Strong But Phils Fall To Astros

EXHIBITION GAME RECAP: Phillies Fall To Astros 6-3

Phillies starter Cliff Lee worked two scoreless innings and gave up two hits with no walks or strikeouts in a 6-3 loss to the Astros. It marked his first game action since July 31 after he went on the disabled list with a left elbow strain and missed the rest of the regular season. Because he was battling for a spot on the roster a year ago, Astros right-hander Collin McHugh didn't even get a chance to start a game in the spring. He didn't make the club, but he was called up by the end of April and wound up making 25 starts and becoming a great story. McHugh took the ball for the Astros' Spring Training opener Thursday afternoon at Osceola County Stadium in only the second start of his career in a Spring Training game. Instead of worrying about a spot on the club, McHugh can focus on getting in his work. McHugh sailed through two scoreless innings against the Phillies, striking out three batters and walking one. "In terms of just kind of mental space, it's different because I've never been here, never broken camp with a team before," McHugh said. "It's different, but I'm excited because I'm honored to be called one of the five guys who gets the ball." With the starting pitchers out of the way, the Astros blasted three homers in a span of two innings to take a 4-1 lead. Luis Valbuena, making his first appearance in a Houston uniform, socked a solo homer in the fourth inning, and Robbie Grossman and Marwin Gonzalez homered on consecutive pitches off Phillippe Aumont in the fifth.

TODAY’S EXHIBITION GAME:

The Phillies return home Friday to play the Yankees. Left-hander Cole Hamels, who has been at the center of trade rumors all offseason, will get the start in front of the Bright House Field crowd and an array of scouts. The 1:05 p.m. ET start will be broadcast live on MLB.TV.

PHILS NOTES:

• The Phillies have added right-handers Mike Nesseth and Seth Rosin to Major League camp as non-roster invitees. The club now has 60 players in camp, 30 of whom are pitchers.
• Alex Monchak turned 98 on Thursday. He's the oldest living Phillies alumni after playing in 19 games at second base and shortstop in 1940. He's also the third-oldest former Major Leaguer.

PHILS PHACTS:

Gillick’s Revised Prediction – Phillies president Pat Gillick said on a Philadelphia sports talk radio show Thursday morning that he thinks that with good health, the rebuilding team could realistically have a winning record this season. "I think we're going to win in the [80-game range]," Gillick told 94WIP. That's more optimistic than his offseason assessment that it could be a couple years before the Phils were competitive, and it runs counter to the national impression that the team could have one of the worst records in baseball. Gillick didn't back down after arriving at Osceola County Stadium for Thursday's 6-3 Grapefruit League loss to the Astros, but he added another important caveat. "I think a lot depends on if we stay healthy, and a lot depends on who stays here through the entire season. If this group is together through the entire season and the younger people come along, we've got an opportunity maybe to get to .500," Gillick said. "If some of the people we have here, for one reason or another, are traded, then that would change the situation. But the group we have now, if we stay healthy, I think we can hopefully reach .500." It is widely accepted that starters Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee and closer Jonathan Papelbon are among the big names who could be moved if the price is right. Asked what he thinks is the likelihood that stars will still be on the roster when the season ends, Gillick shrugged. "It all depends what [general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.] gets offered for different players. If it's something that's going to make us better for the future, that would probably change things, change the outlook for 2015. But if it's going to make us better down the line, he'd certainly have to consider it," Gillick said.

Back To Normal – The important number wasn't the 22 pitches, or the 16 strikes. The important number wasn't a fastball that sat in the high 80s or the zero runs allowed on two hits with no walks or strikeouts. The important number wasn't even the 17 scouts who sat behind home plate, carefully watching his two innings. The most important result for veteran Phillies left-hander Cliff Lee after his start in Thursday's 6-3 Grapefruit League loss to the Astros at Osceola County Stadium wasn't even a number at all. It was this: "It feels normal," the 36-year-old said. Lee was facing hitters in a game for the first time in more than seven months after missing most of the second half of last season with a strained elbow. If he can bounce back to regain his All-Star form, that would be a big boost for the Phillies ... or any team that might try to pick him up in a deal. The conventional wisdom has been that Lee has to prove that he's healthy before he'd be a legitimate trade chip. And he conceded that two innings in the first week of March doesn't do that. "I wouldn't say so. As a starting pitcher, you've got to go out there and throw a hundred and some odd pitches, get deep into games to do your job effectively," Lee said. "Personally, until I do that, I don't think that I've proven that I can do that yet. I don't have any doubts, but still you have to build up to do that and prove you can do that. "Not that I'm trying to prove anything to anyone. I don't have any uncertainty. I definitely have confidence and expect to go out there and be successful, and I'm doing everything I can to prevent something like that from happening again." But Lee, who threw all fastballs with the exception of one curve and two cutters, viewed this outing as a step in the right direction, and he is confident about what lies ahead. "I didn't really have butterflies, but it has been a while since I've faced live hitters, so it was good to get that under my belt and behind me, and now it's just build on that," Lee said. "I definitely know how to pitch and know what it takes to be a successful pitcher at this level, so I definitely feel like there's more that I have to offer, and I'm going to continue to go out there and try to prove it every chance I get. "Really, it's for myself more than anything. I know what I can do and I know what I'm capable of. I hold myself to a pretty high standard, so if I can live up to that, then everything is going to work out just fine."

Can Brown Bounce Back? – During their organizational meetings last fall, one of the strongest supporters of outfielder Domonic Brown was Pat Gillick. "One thing about Domonic is he did hit 20-some home runs one year. He has done it," the club president said before Thursday's 6-3 Grapefruit League loss to the Astros at Osceola County Stadium. "I don't know if he's going to do it again, but he's one guy who has shown offensively that he's capable of it. "We want him to succeed, and if he's going to succeed, we want him to succeed here." The 27-year-old Brown then went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI in the game. "He had four good at-bats, hit two to the warning track," said manager Ryne Sandberg. In 2013, Brown hit 27 homers with an .818 OPS and made the National League All-Star team. Last season, he hit 10 homers with a .634 OPS. "He didn't have a good year offensively [in 2014]," Gillick said. "But personally, I don't see any physical change in him."

Last Chance – Reliever Phillippe Aumont is out of options. Starter Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez is in the second year of a three-year contract. The two right-handers are considered to have significant upsides, but neither has yet demonstrated the consistency they need to help the Phillies win at the big league level. Both pitchers worked in Thursday's 6-3 Grapefruit League loss to the Astros at Osceola County Stadium. Gonzalez allowed two runs on four hits while pitching the third and fourth innings. Aumont gave up back-to-back home runs to Robbie Grossman and Marwin Gonzalez in the fifth. Manager Ryne Sandberg said he thought the 28-year-old Gonzalez, who is competing for the fifth spot in the rotation and dealt with shoulder problems after signing a $12 million deal as a Cuban free agent, pitched better than his line indicated. "That's probably the best I've seen him as far as [health] and the fastball ... [and the] breaking pitch. That's the best stuff I've seen him have since he came over here," Sandberg said. "He looks like he's healthy, has a little zip on the fastball. That can get better as he goes along. But compared to last year, it's night and day." Sandberg was less encouraged by the 26-year-old Aumont. "Just a combination of hittable pitches that get squared up and getting behind in the count," Sandberg said. "So he's got some work to do. There are adjustments to be made there. When you pitch from behind, the hitters hit fastballs. Typically, the hitters see him pretty well [when that happens]. "The biggest thing is working ahead. Really, he has a good breaking ball when he gets to those counts. But sometimes he gets hit before he gets to those counts." Aumont demonstrated that to George Springer, striking the outfielder out with the help of two good breaking balls after the second home run. And because of his potential, it's likely that he would be claimed if the Phillies had to put him on waivers. "This is a big Spring Training for him as far as being with the Phillies," Sandberg said. "He's had multiple chances, and this is a clean slate opportunity for him. This is a new season with competition in camp and jobs to be won. There are some spots available. So this is an important spring for him as far as staying with the Phillies."

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.